Jewel of Darkness
by Eduard Kassel
Summary: Raven is exiled from Azerath at the age of eight. Taken in by Slade as his apprentice she is trained as his right hand and heir. What does the future hold for the aspiring villain Midnight as she comes to face her first great challenge, the Teen Titans.
1. Prologue: A Dark Road Taken

**I do not own Teen Titans, if I did I woulkd be rich and this would be an Elseworld. Also I would have a complete collection of Great War era bayonets and combat knives.**

**Prologue**

"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day."

-The Joker, "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore

_Destiny, fate, choice, and free will; Forces that wise sages have claimed govern events that have yet to come._

_On the one hand we are called helpless, following a script long since finalized. We are merely puppets that cannot see our own strings. What will be will be whatever happens, happens._

_On the other we have infinite choice. Here in lies chaos wherein each being is responsible for is and will happen. No fate, only will and the lack thereof._

_But is it truly a matter of absolutes? If not gray is not possible like the Yin-Yang that these two forces exist simultaneously in conflict and in balance? By this relationship could they not validate one another, with both fate and choice being true and false?_

_A wise man once illustrated this middle way to his students by drawing lines in the dirt with a stick. What he showed them resembled a tree, or perhaps trees resemble this pattern._

_A single unknowable starting point, which branches out into multiple lines that if continued would represent an infinite number of intersections. There are times where choices are made and a fate chosen. Yet having made that choice we must flow that path, and there is no returning to the path not taken._

_But is there truly a path not taken? An intelligent woman proposed that the tree model actually represented not choices but divergences. When the universe reaches these crossroads every option is exercised and new realities are born from the choices. This theory giving rise to the belief in a true multiverse, in which different but legitimate realities exist._

_Behold Azerath, the holiest city of this world. It lays claim to a general splendor, rather than a handful of temples and palaces it is the city as a whole that one finds attractive. The feeling of ease one feels walking the streets stands as proof positive that this is no den of charlatans and politicians, the light truly dwells here._

_Yet, by the act of existence it cannot claim perfection. This day a crossroad approaches dark wings, dark words, and dark deeds._

_Somewhere with in the hallowed city a debate rages. A dark hall hidden from the light, a place reserved for tasks deemed necessary but undesirable. The chamber is crude but adequate, after all what occurs here is not meant to be glorified. At present the hall is occupied by fifteen people, adorned in the white robes of their order. They all stand save for a single elder who watches over the gathering from a throne carved into the living stone that supports Azerath. This aged, yet menacing figure alone retains his priestly composure as those below him set aside such manner in favor of sincerity_

_We come upon the Quorum of Azarath in the midst of debate_:

"The can no longer be any doubt, the prophecy was true."

"If there is no doubt why has the Quorum assembled?"

"Prophecies are the refuge of cowards, who abdicate responsibility by blaming fate. Our archives alone hold dozens of unfulfilled predictions of the future."

"This is different. We all felt the presence of the Terrible One those years ago. The child's skin is testament to her nature."

"The herald of hellfire, the princess of ash, a child that will herald the end times. Such coloring is not unheard of. Yet the incident this morning, it is clear we were too optimistic."

"The incident proves my theories of eight years past. It carries not only Trigon's blood but is in fact hanyou. This abomination has already displayed power, if we wish to avoid destruction cast it from our presence."

"You speak of a child Corrain, her name is Raven. You act as if she is a monster, when her powers only saved her from a cart crushing her. Self preservation is not inherently malign."

"Arella, your reason is tainted by maternal sentiments-"

"Mind your tongue Corrain, we are here to decide our actions regarding the child. Arella has proven her fitness to attend."

"Honored members of the Quorum, Azarath has long set itself in opposition to the darkness. It would be a betrayal of that sacred task to turn our backs on Raven. She is half demon, but she is also half human.

"Humans are inclined to wickedness. Azarath has only achieved this serene state by working against our human nature. If anything her human side will augment her infernal heritage."

"No, if we train her in the ways of our order she can suppress her demonic nature. She is still young enough to begin the training."

"Even are priests our not infallible. Would such training achieve anything but pouring fuel on the fire?"

"Yes, you would give our greatest weapons over to the enemy."

"This child, Raven, her destiny is to be the destruction of our neighbor world earth, the cradle of humanity. Earth is an ancient world, stained with pointless bloodshed and overflowing with bigotry and apathy. This is the reason our ancestors fled that accursed plane."

"Attempting to avert the prophecy will bring doom to Azarath. The fate that awaits the Earthers is tragic, but all things end. What point is there to risk Azarath by gambling on a child's strength."

"The right path is seldom the easy one. We have gone from condemning a child to an entire world. This path leads Azarath to a dark place."

"ENOUGH," the voice of the elder washed over them. He does not rise, it is not necessary; his voice shatters their resolve like a cannon ball through a cathedral window. None of the quorum could be called weak, but they regarded the elder with respect that mingled with fear.

"A JUST DEBATE, BUT ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID IS SAID. THE TIME HAS COME TO CHOSE, WILL AZERATH STAND ASIDE, OR OPPOSE THE PROPHECY? RETURN WHEN YOU HAVE DETERMIND YOUR COURSES," he concludes.

The Quorum departs their secret place, and seeks solitude. Some meditate on the matter seeking affirmation or answers in themselves. Others wander, searching for signs and revelations in the world around them. Still others carry on with their task routine tasks, finding their center in normalcy. Over the next week they return one by one. The secret chamber now held two pots and a vase. Within each pot rested pebbles, one held black and the other white.

White pebbles to try and save a world, and black to condemn a girl and damn a world. They could not tell if they were the first or the last, or even if there choice was the popular one. As was the way of Azarath, they were each accountable to their own conscience, a harsh judge indeed.

At last it comes down to one man. Observe him if you will, much of his face is obscured by his cowl, but what you can see is a mouth used to smiles and lines formed by worry. His face if you could see it would tell of regrets and triumphs, a life flawed but still beautiful. His white cloak conceals most of his form, but his hands you can see just fine. They are opened wide as you can please and in each rests a fine little pebble.

In his left hand he holds hope, and in the other safety. Do not think harshly of him, this choice is unenviable; and should you judge I would be interested to know how you would weather the dilemma he faces. He could with one hand ensure the safety of all he holds dear, but at the price of dooming strangers. Also the face of the girl comes to mind, could he do this and ever forget that face? Yet while the dangerous road holds appeal to those you wish to stand, the risk is great. After all it is not his own life that he risks but an entire world, all in the gamble that one child can overcome forces even he can not quite grasp.

The shape of the world changes as he steps forward. It is without satisfaction he tips a hand and lets the pebble slid from his control. The plunk as it hits the bottom of the vase seems inappropriate. His resolve wavers as he almost wishes to reach down and pull it back out.

He does not even try; you can never take it back he knows that lesson well. Feeling the beginnings of shame he returns the white pebble to its pot, it makes no sound at all. Feeling his years the priest leaves in search of prayer. A necessary evil, he thinks, but still evil.

The final vote came back, 8-7 in favor of banishing Raven daughter of Arella to the Earth.

* * *

Steel City that is what they called it. It had a proper name once, named in honor of the German immigrant that founded the settlement that grew into a metropolis. During World War I as Germanphobia swept the USA the citizens renamed their city so as not to seem unpatriotic. Streets called Victory, Liberty, Washington, and other mindless nationalist banter stood in place of the old names. For the sake of keeping up appearances the city rejected its past and identity. A prime example of human cowardice, the man thought.

They called him Slade; he too had once had a proper name. Ironically he had also lost it to a war, along with the life he had once led. His family had possessed a proud martial tradition. His father had served in the Vietnam War from start to finish, a volunteer in a war made famous by draft dodging. Slade's Grandfather had also volunteered and fought under General Patton in North Africa and Sicily. The tradition began with his Great Grandfather, who as Marine had taken part in rape of half a dozen tiny nations to protect and further American interests. Slade come to find himself holding the most sympathy for that distant ancestor.

His career path had been determined from an early age. He did not take it as an excuse; his parents would have supported him had he chosen differently. However, in all honesty he was a man who craved conflict from even those early days. As a soldier he had excelled and earned the attention of the men who decided the course of the Cold War. He became a Ghost, a unit that did not exist that carried out missions that never happened. The end of the Cold War changed little, Uncle Sam could now freely snap up whatever interests he wanted while the world struggled to find a new balance.

Then everything changed. Even now he was impressed at how quickly life could go wrong, not end, but become stunningly warped. Never mind how it happened, suffice it to say he ceased to be his father's son and wife's husband, and became Slade.

He did not cast away his old name like this City had. The change was natural, like a serpent shedding an old skin that no longer fit. Rather than prowling the shadows for his job he now dwelled in them. Part of a world that existed just below the surface of that naive realm he had been born into. A shadow world he aspired to master.

Slade had gained a reputation, while being careful to stay below the radar. While powerful, it was his mind that set him apart. The mind of a veteran that has triumphed in every mission imaginable, in every battlefield you can think of. His empire grew slowly like a cancer; while _heroes_ put out fires his peers set they did not even realize the danger they would face in the years to come.

While hesitation was often fatal in battle, the same was true for acting too soon. He was barely a rumor in the underworld. Shielded by misdirection and multiple aliases his power grew at the expense of people who did not realize they were marked for a fall.

Yet in spite of this inclination for caution he was on the move in a neighborhood degenerate even by the disgraceful standards of Steel City. Rather than testing out his armor he wore a modified version of his military effects, including the cloth mask.

The rumors had brought him out. A strange girl with strange powers, in this business you learned that certain combinations meant trouble. Metahumans, mutants, aliens, or whatever other category they fit under, the last few years had seen them rise to prominence on both sides of the law. One thing they had in common was attracting trouble. A lack of metahumans or masked criminals had been the reason he chose this rotting metropolis for his base.

Yet now one seemed to have crashed his party. No point in griping he elected to scout out the girl and assess the threat. Once that was done he would form a plan of action and deal with this before it became something that could disrupt his plans.

He could not have suspected how this mission would disrupt his plans, or change the course of his world's destiny. With each step one door swung shut and another began to open. And blissfully unaware the masked man made his way across the tenement rooftops towards something he never suspected.

"The beginnings of greatness ought to make a louder noise. Then I could seek cover."

-Anonymous

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	2. Fate

_**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TEEN TITANS.**_

_Please note this story is not SladexRaven. There will be a lot of interaction between the two, but they will absolutely not be a couple. _

* * *

Chapter I

**Etaf**

Soft and warm, those were the first discernible facts that filtered into Ravens mind. She realized she was waking up from being asleep. What's more she was in a bed, and for a blissful moment she thought it had all been a nightmare and she was in her chamber in Azerath.

Then she opened her eyes and was met by an unfamiliar ceiling. Reality reasserted itself and despair rushed in. She sat up, pulling the covers up to her chest in a pointless gesture of protection. The room was grey and bare, the bed the only furnishing. The door was metal, set in stone walls, with no handle or latch evident, she was trapped.

Still tinged by sleep the girl tried to piece together what lead to her being here. She had been poking around one of the alleys she was more familiar with, checking for a good hiding place to sleep in. Then that man had called out and-

Her mind clamped shut as the memory flashed before her. Her hands flung to her mouth as her stomach tried to empty itself via the wrong way. While suppressing the urge to vomit, a shadow formed around her chest and exploded outward, shredding the blanket and ripping into the mattress. Stunned by this display and her stomach calmed for the moment her eyes grew damp and she stuffed her head under the mostly intact pillow.

Even the most resilient individuals can only take so much, and this particular individual was an eight year old girl.

* * *

Unknown to Raven the room, or perhaps cell, contained at least one another item of note, a surveillance camera. Through this well hidden device her awakening and subsequent acts were observed by a very dangerous man. He sat upon a throne of steel, though simple in design its position amidst and above the engines that powered his base granted it a grandeur beyond any mere chair. He sat perfect still, holding the position in the manner only a soldier trained to remain motionless for hours can. As his guest rather pathetically imitated an Ostrich he shifted with a fluid grace surprising considering his former rigidness. Putting an armored fist to his sealed chin he contemplated his current situation.

Slade was intrigued by his own actions. He had acted impulsively bringing this girl here. She was an unknown element, and the unknown while not something he feared was not to be taken lightly. So why had he done it?

Once more he reviewed the events leading to this timely meeting.

The man had entered the alley, clearly homeless ad even more apparently drunk. He had called out to the girl upon seeing her poking about in that outfit. Distance and drunkenness made it difficult to understand what he said, but his intent was clear to Slade.

The villain had idly pulled out one of his pistols, a lower grade weapon he carried in the event he needed to work fast without raising eyebrows. As to why he was saving a girl from a drunken pedophile, believe it or not rape disgusted him. Most would not believe it of a man who could kill men, women, and children without remorse would have scruples. But as they say even a stopped clock reads true twice a day and this was a crime he did not approve of.

With no more thought than others would spare for stepping on a bug he aimed to end the drunk's life. The man was quicker than expected and the girl had stupidly been glued to the spot. He grabbed her arm, Slade began to squeeze the trigger and the would be rapist exploded.

Had he been any other man Slade would have jerked in surprise and accidentally discharged. But he was Slade and his eye widening in shock was the only sign of surprise as he eased his finger off the trigger.

He took stock of the kill. The offending hand existed no only technically, a shattered piece of flesh and bone that would not stand out as a hand. The arm somewhat attached to I was in noticeably better condition, but still would have been worthless. The man's torso looked as if someone had taken an axe to it several times. What organs remained inside would have also been worthless. The head sliced cleanly down the middle topped the overkill off nicely, if the left side was not sliding back slightly it would look like it was only a nasty cut.

Slade was somewhat impressed by the brutality, but such a clear waste of energy did not appeal to him. For dealing with trash when should never exert more than the minimum of effort.

At this point he shifted his attention from the fresh corpse to the killer. With her shaking and frantically trying to wipe the blood off she was clearly going into shock. This was clearly no killer, just a child who had killed, possibly for the first time. But still that power, and with apparently no control or training in using it. It was becoming clear he had found a jewel abandoned in the gutter.

At this point he had broken from character and exchanged his pistol for a seldom used tranquilizer gun and shot her. He had brought the young metahuman back here and placed her in one of the better cells to recuperate. And that brought him back to the present.

So the question remained, why bring her here? He focused on that single image of the gray girl bloodstained and going into shock. Rose.

Lifting his head he regarded his viewing screen with a narrowed gaze. Yes, he thought, Rose would be about this age by now.

It was odd, after all he could not recall the last time he'd thought of his estranged daughter. But seeing this girl had apparently roused some remnant of his paternal instincts. A most disturbing turn of events, he had thought those pats of his being had long since rotted in their graves. Yet here he was.

His missing eye was the only reminder he needed as to why such feelings where not only useless, but dangerous.

Now he new why, the next question was what now?

It was true he had thought idly about taking an apprentice of sorts. This girl was powerful and apparently up for grabs. Though, he had always imagined having a male heir, someone like himself preferably.

He halted that train of thought; his empire was not even complete. Besides it would be years before this girl was a threat to anyone with a brain.

"Enough speculation," he spoke aloud. He rose from his throne and approached the screen, which zoomed in on the pillow concealing Raven's head.

"While planning is always preferable, some situations require advancing to see what happens," Slade stated, he melted into the shadows, off to see his unwilling guest.

* * *

Three clicks heralded the doors opening and silenced the tiny figure on the bed. Lifting the pillow she peeked out and watched as the door slid open. A man filled it, encased in armor from his boots to the helmet that covered his head, one eye locked with hers'.

It would be nearly two years before Raven learned what she was feeling in that moment. Locking her eyes with a Bengal Tiger she would realize that meeting Slade's sole eye was like being faced with a predator, and knowing you are the prey.

Her first impulse was to run. That was quickly dismissed as he blocked the only exit. The only place to hide was under the bed, and that would not work. Left with no good options she chose to stand her ground. She rose to her knees on the bed, casting the pillow aside and composed her face to meet his gaze.

This reaction once again piqued Slade's interest. On his way up from the throne room he had dismissed his passing fancy of an apprentice, deeming this girl a weakling. But here she was meeting his gaze, which had forced down many hardened men. It would seem there was more to her than simply power.

"Greetings, I trust you are feeling better?" he asked. The tone was free of malice, but it still held a certain casual sarcasm. Even before he became the man he is today he had never been good at socializing.

"Yes, thank you. Where am I?" Raven answered softly. Like her other taught her she was reining in her fear, not letting her emotions rule her.

"You are in my home," he answered truthfully, telling her little in the process. She paused running that information through her head.

"Why did you bring me here?" she queried. Now Slade was impressed, a good question, one that could tell her a great deal about her situation. Rather than oblige he decided to bring his own questions to bear.

"I saw what you did," he answered. Her reaction told him plenty. The fear was let loose again, and shame was evident on her face. This explained the discrepancy; her pathetic displays were rooted in fear of herself and hatred of herself. He understood this to hardly be unusual in metahumans, but still. This girl could face him and then be torn apart by facing herself; there was a story behind this.

Time to test the waters, he decided.

"You did well," he told her.

Those three words changed her mind from impotently trying to restrain fear, to complete confusion. Her control broken she said what she was thinking.

"What," she replied?

"That man was garbage and he tried to harm you. When lesser beings threaten you it is proper to punish them. You went with a rather extreme method, but it is not my place to judge you," he answered. At this point he crossed the threshold into the room, though he still remained distant from the bed.

Raven was quite confused now. She had been prepared for him to throw her back into the streets when he told her he knew. Even being killed was something she expected without fully grasping the gravity of the idea. But this . . . approval; she did not know what to do with it.

"I killed someone," she stated. That should be enough to show that she deserved to be punished and not praised.

"He will not be missed. And he chose to attack you; it is his own fault that he died. You did nothing wrong," he decided the time was right to say it outright. At this Raven closed her eyes and shook her head, actually swinging her bangs a bit.

"Mother says that it is never right to kill someone," she answered. Slade might have grinned behind his mask.

"And where is your mother now?" he asked almost innocently. That finished breaking through all her barriers. For a moment he saw it all cross over her face, despair, pain, confusion, and most of all betrayal.

"She sent me away," Raven murmured. It was softly spoken, she did not mean for him to hear it, but he did anyway. This confirmed his suspicions and greatly raised his interest in this girl.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Raven," she answered. She met his gaze again but this time she was closer to a lost kitten than a defiant person, how disappointing.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked. Slade had seen enough to decide on one f the plans he had made on the way down.

"Nothing, you are free to go in the morning. My servant will get you a new blanket and a fresh set of local clothes," he told her. He stepped back into the doorway, knowing the conversation was not over.

"Wait, thank you," she said. Her tone and body language told him she was still very wary, but this kite longed for a new string.

"It was no trouble. Wintergreen will give you my card. Perhaps we will meet again some day," be told her. When the door closed he actually did smile behind his mask, most likely he would be seeing a lot more of this girl soon. And even if he had read Raven wrong, he had lost and risked nothing in this encounter. She had not even learned his name.

* * *

Wayne Manor, the palace of the Wayne Family, and symbol of their wealth and power. The Waynes are ancient money; their pedigree can be traced back to Hanover. The Wayne's came to England with George I and were ennobled for their services during the Jacobite Rebellions. A second born son came to Gotham at a time when the colony was just starting to bloom. During the American Revolution both the Senior Branch and the American Branch came to blows on the battle field. Even as the line died out in Europe the Gotham Waynes and their money have endured. Though America is a country that is proudly kingless the Waynes have often been regarded as a sort of municipal royalty. William Wayne was known as the Boss of Gotham leading the effort to revive the city from the Depression. Dr. Thomas Wayne was Good king Tom, rather than ruling a business empire he chose the path of a healer and used his wealth in great acts of philanthropy.

The current link in this noble chain, the Prince of Gotham, Bruce Wayne, was considered by many a disgrace to his ancestors. Loved, hated, or merely respected the Waynes have always been men dedicated to something. Bruce seemed dedicated only to pursuing his own pleasures and exhibiting his excesses to the public. Most blamed it on the fact that his father had died before passing on the values of the family, and Wayne was raised by servants and spoiled.

But appearances are far from the truth. Beneath the Victorian grandeur of Wayne manor a vast cave system reaches deep into the earth. One of Bruce's more noble descendants had used these caves as a way station for the Underground Railroad, and the current Wayne had also put them to good use.

The Batcave, its position concealed beneath the Manor was not unlike the truth behind the mask the Batman wore as the Prince of Gotham. It was true that this dark place was more comfortable for him, the Manor held painful memories of his past while the Cave was completely his. Thus it served not only as his armory and base, but as a sanctuary of sorts.

The Dark Knight's current visitor appreciated the strange nature of the cave and its occupant more than most.

Dr. Fate walked among the various trophies the Dark Knight had begun to organize. To others this display might have been a sign of vanity, a boasting of achievements; but that was not the case here. The Batman was fighting a war that was likely endless, crime an enemy that for all his victories may prove impossible to truly defeat. This Rogue's Gallery stood as a reminder of the fallibility of evil, a shrine against despair.

The masked sorcerer doubted the Batman fully realized this. The Dark Knight was a creature of logic and reason, abstract philosophy, while not lost on him, had no place in his black and white world.

His host rose from his place before the computer, taking a hiatus from his current investigation to palaver with his guest. He descended from the computer platform to find Dr. Fate contemplating a gigantic penny.

"You said you had something important to tell me," Batman stated. Doctor Fate turned to regard him, it is interesting to watch two masked men try and read each other.

"I sensed a disturbance recently. I am now certain that the dimensional veil was breached and something has entered our world," Doctor Fate answered.

"Do you know what it was?" the Batman asked.

"I know it was someone rather than something. And I believe this being is very important."

"The stars, the elements, and oracles; they have all been giving signs of some great event approaching. They speak of doom Batman. And I believe this Arrival is the beginning," Dr. Fate explained.

"What can be done about it?" Batman asked; the wizard now had his full attention.

"Very little can be done right now. Cast against the Veil I could nearly make the arrival out, but now that it has alighted; it id like searching for a single twig in a vast forest without knowing what the twig looks like."

"How much time do we have?" Batman pressed. He was displeased that once again magic proved unreliable, but if the situation where dire Dr. Fate would not be so calm.

"Years, possibly a decade or more before this seed bears fruit. Hopefully the threat will become clearer before it reaches its potential. In the meantime I have other pressing matters to attend to," Dr. Fate answered.

"Why tell me, inter-dimensional travelers and magic are not my fields?" Batman inquired. Dr. Fate turned back to studying the coin, likely contemplating just what and how much to tell the Batman. At last he returned his attention to his host.

"I have been informing the greater heroes of this development, casting the net wide in the hope that we might catch something. But you in particular are of interest, I believe you are somehow connected with the events unfolding on Earth," Dr. Fate answered. Batman raised an eyebrow at this information, but remained silent for the sorcerer to continue.

"I meditated on the Arrival and received a brief vision. I saw cave mouth at sunset, a flock bats emerged along with a single red bird. The bird departed from the flock and flew to the sea, where it alighted on an island. The last thing I saw where black wings blocking my vision," Dr. Fate elaborated.

"A red bird?" Batman wondered aloud. Dr. Fate summoned his portal with a gesture, the glowing ankh casting the cave in stark light and shadow.

"Visions rarely make sense beforehand, and it may not be about you at all. But something is coming, and we must be prepared Batman," Dr. Fate declared before vanishing into the light. Alone in the dark the Batman contemplated this information, and what the future might hold.

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This chapter has not yet been betaed.


	3. Falling

_I do not own Teen Titans! Why must you mock me with accusations which if true would make me if not famous at least rich enough to to get plenty of Great War antiques!? Why!?_

* * *

**Falling**

"Get out of my shop. I have nothing for the likes of you!" the fat shopkeeper yelled. Dropping the bag of bread she had been holding, Raven swiftly fled the grocery store; she knew from experience not to try and reason with the locals.

After putting some small distance between herself and the shop Raven slowed to a walk, trying to not stand out among the pedestrians even more.

The day had not been going well for the girl. While she was warmer with the clothes provided by Slade, though the trousers covering her legs still felt quite odd, Raven was still not doing well in the better parts of the city. Her coloring seemed to offend the locals greatly; her latest attempt at buying fresh food had seen her try to conceal her nature by pulling up the hood on her gray hoodie. However as she attempted to pay Raven had accidentally shown her face.

She paused on the sidewalk realizing she had left the money for paying behind in her haste. The Azaerathian contemplated returning to reclaim the green paper, but decided it would be futile and possibly dangerous, both for her and the shop keeper. That train of thought was swiftly cut off; it would only lead her back to the man in the alley. And those thoughts always lead to the strange words of the masked man.

"So close," she sighed. The only thing she had been able to actually purchase was a sausage in a bun from an old vendor. That had been hours ago and she did not want to start digging through the garbage again. She hugged her growling stomach through the foreign garments, she had always been skinny and she had been losing weight since her food had run out. Her stomach quieted she readjusted her hood, making sure it covered as much as possible.

Dejected she decided to check the park she had noticed the previous day. Perhaps there would be more vendors there, and at least it would be a change in scenery from this smelly city. She recalled that old vendor had asked her about adding some yellow sauce on the sausage, Raven resolved to try the sauce if she got another chance.

The laws of movement here where easy to figure out, best to cross where lines indicated a bridge and when the picture of a green person light up. Still crossing the roads with those machines lurking so close was nerve wracking. She had learned that in some nations science rather than magic held sway; producing such devices. But these things where noisy, the source of much of the stink in the air, and intimidating in a way the beasts of burden had never been. But she had and continued to traverse the roads, she had been taught to not let her fears rule her, and she had a destination to reach for once.

The small crowd that gathered waiting for the sign to change was uncomfortable. Compared to the residents of Azerath these people seemed to emit negative emotions like hogs fresh from the sty. Feeling a hard gaze fall on her yet again her hands automatically flew to the hood making sure it was still in place. She wanted to get moving, this was not a place she wanted to be.

The red upraised red hand was a symbol she had grown to dislike for moments such as this. All the more so since in Azerath such a gesture was a greeting. Her mother had told her the custom was from darker times, where you raised your hand as such to show it was both empty of weapons and not closed into a fist. Another reminder of home, and her mother; it was hard to believe how short a time she had been parted from both when they already seemed so distant.

At last the green man appeared, and Raven was the first to cross to the other side.

* * *

It does not take long for something to go terribly wrong. This truth had been become all too apparent too Raven these last few days. First her banishment, then that man in the alley that attacked her, and now this. She ran fast as her legs could carry her, away from the park, the cruel words, the blows, and the blood; the blood most of all.

She had just wanted to relax and center herself, use the meditation techniques her mother had been teaching her to find a solution to her problem. It was not like she had been bothering anyone, she had avoided the field where most of the people had been, to sit in the shadow of a tree. Healthy vegetation blunted the discordant sounds of the city and greatly reduced the odor. The people where not only fewer but seemed to be much calmer and generally at ease, and as such Raven was also feeling calmer. The grass was not a meditation pad, but it was sufficient as she assumed her position and began to use the initiate techniques her mother had been teaching her.

The mediation was just beginning to work, leaving her feeling detached, when she had been knocked down. A boot to her shoulder had been the culprit, and having been rudely brought back down to earth Raven now met the boot's owner. He was an adolescent wearing a black jacket, with dark hair slicked back, dark sunglasses, and the pathetic beginnings of a mustache on his upper lip. His companions had similar attire though their hair was blonde and they either lacked the means for such facial hair, or possessed the sense not to try at this point. Another feature they had in common was a discomforting grin directed at Raven, as she picked herself up off the grass.

"Metas aren't welcome in this park," her attacker stated, his glasses turning his eyes into black pits. Raven took a step back, not knowing what a Meta was, though apparently they thought she was one. She was doubly distressed when her back met the tree trunk cutting off her retreat, and when she felt a tingle stir in her chest.

"You people think you can do whatever you want. My uncle's business got blown up by some freak in spandex. Don't you respect property? Or are those dumbass outfits some kind of license?" one of blondes asked. He accented his point by stepping forward and flicking her hood back, revealing her ashen skin, purple hair, and matching eyes. While Raven understood the language, she had no idea what they were talking about. Her silence did not help, though in all honesty no answer would really have diffused the situation.

"What you too good to talk to real humans? I think you need to learn some manners you lousy Meta," the kicker commented. He seized Raven by her hoodie's collar and lifted her up to his eye level, before slamming her into the tree. He was not that strong but the tree bark was anything but smooth. Raven gasped as she felt that horrid feeling of power gathering in her chest. As the kicker snickered, pondering what to do next, and his cohorts called out encouragement, Raven struggled to keep the energy building in her contained.

After experiencing this two times she realized what was happening and more importantly what would happen. She frantically recalled how her mother described how to suppress anger. The first step was visualizing it; in this case she saw a ball of black lightening. Secondly contain it; she pictured the chest in the old antechamber. Open the chest and stuff the ball in there. The third step, she did not know, Raven realized. Her mother had not completed the lesson before she left!

"Hey Hip, use this," the hitherto silent lackie chimed in. He held out a stiletto, the blade still retracted. Hip hesitated stariing at the knife, a troubled look hidden behind his shades. Going into this he had planned on knocking around the Meta trash and sending her home crying, boosting his image with the crew. He had never even thought about taking it as far as cutting, but if he turned it down they might see him as a poser, Hip realized. As fate would have it, the decision was taken out of his hands for good or ill.

Focused as they were on their leader and his victim they had apparently forgotten the park was not deserted. They were stripped of this illusion as a large hand seized the wrist holding the knife.

"Drop it," the new arrival demanded in a deep authoritative voice. Both victim and victimizers turned their attention to the new arrival. He was a tall well built African-American man with a shaved head and tidy goatee, and his expression was far from pleasant. The punk dropped the weapon; clearly the courage that enabled him to torment a little girl did not extend to grown men, particularly ones that looked as if they could break him in half. Hip for his part was a bit relieved he had been taken off the spot and let out a tiny sigh of relief.

"Scram punks," the man growled. He released his grip and the trio beat a hasty retreat, by now several of the park goers where gravitating to the site; drawn by whatever force attracts one to unpleasant happenings.

"Dad, can we go now?" a boy called out, coming in from the field holding a football. He was young, probably only two years maybe three over Raven, but already he showed signs of inheriting his father's build.

"Wait a second Victor. You alright kid, your parents around?" the man asked, turning his attention to Raven's crumpled form. Preoccupied with keeping the lid latched on a violently buckling chest she did not answer his query. His brow furrowed in concern Victor's father reached out to touch her shoulder in what would have been a reassuring gesture.

Sadly this was the worst thing he could have possibly done. The gentle touch was enough to trigger instinct as the invasion of space distracted Raven from holding in a force she barely understood. In her mind the lid blew off a chest and any control she might have had was lost. Outside her mind that force exploded outward from her torso; coils of black energy striking hard and deep into the man who had come to her rescue. For a moment half a dozen people including young Victor saw something dark spring from the girl and impale the man, before the darkness vanished, leaving Victor's father to fall before Raven, his blood swiftly staining the grass.

No one actually saw Raven run, their attention focused on her victim. Victor in particular never saw the terror and regret on the girl's face as she rose to flee. He however reach his fathers side in time to hear the last words of Douglas Stone, and set in motion yet more reaching consequences of this fateful day.

* * *

Raven stopped to catch her breath. Turning back the way she had come she realized no one was pursuing her. To her irritation she had yet again ended up back in the gutter. They would be looking for her she knew, people had seen what she had done. They hated her before, and now they had reason. She shivered wondering what would happen to her.

Thoughts of the future were vaporized as her adrenaline faded letting the full scope of what just happened hit. Paling she dropped to her knees beside a dumpster as her stomach emptied its contents on the littered pavement.

She had killed someone.

She killed someone again.

She killed someone who had tried to help her.

Someone had finally helped her and she had murdered them.

Her body kept trying to vomit as if her mind could be purged of the damning knowledge by the act. Those who have experienced it know that while regurgitation is never pleasant, the heaves have a particular pain when there is simply nothing left to eject.

Though it seemed like a long time the fit ceased shortly and Raven let herself fall back on her ass. The stink of her digestive track hung in the air but she was too preoccupied with her sins to notice much less care.

"This is it. That is why they sent me away; I murder people for no reason. These people know it too," Raven rasped. Her throat was raw from the episode; she idly wished she had something to drink.

Her mother had been so sad when they sent her away, not because of the parting, but because she was sent to die, Raven realized. Azerath was a place of purity and the monks protected that truth vigorously. So they couldn't kill her without sullying Azerath, but they could send her somewhere so tainted one more stain would make no difference. These people had already known what danger she posed, and now their suspicions were confirmed.

Inevitably the growing terrors lead her to one conclusion. She did not want to die, and she did not want to kill. There was only one place she could go that might be safe and where she might learn what she needed to know. Someone else had helped Raven since her arrival, and he had said he could help her control this horrid power.

* * *

"Are you prepared to commit to my teachings?" that is what Slade had asked her.

Raven had followed the instructions he had left for her on meeting with him precisely. The directions had been very specific on how to get where she was going and she had a feeling the way she arrived was just as important as the destination. As predicted the large doorway had been boarded over some years ago, but several nails had been removed allowing her to enter, and descend the stairway beyond.

The shafts of twilight that pierced the boards were left behind as she descended into the darkness beneath the city. When she reached the bottom she could not see the hand in front of her face. While her night vision had always been good this was no night where moon and stars were poor substitutes for the sun, this place was lightless.

Raven could feel that she had entered some large space, something in the way the air moved, what she would give for a torch. Recalling the final step in the instructions she sat down, hugging her knees to her chest, and waited for Slade to come.

There was no way for her to tell how long she waited. Night fell that much she was certain of as the temperature dropped. Sounds abounded, some echoing from above while the sounds from the underground were more disconcerting as some great mass swiftly and noisily traversed the darkness somewhere distant, but too close for comfort. Another machine of some sort she thought. She wondered if this was some abandoned storehouse, or worse a forgotten crypt.

She considered meditating, but was unwilling to loose what little warmth her current position allowed. As if to spit on her, her stomach growled anew. Against the dark, the hunger, and the cold all she could do was hold herself and hope that Slade would actually come.

The question came unannounced and utterly unsuspected from the darkness.

"Are you prepared to commit to my teachings?" Slade demanded from the darkness. There was no doubt as to his identity, that voice could belong to no one else. Surprise had seen her spring to her feet, and oddly enough she actually considered the staircase behind her.

Raven knew very little of this man, she did not even know his face. One of the few things she knew was that he did not only seem to forgive that she was a killer, but approve. Those words he had spoken went against her mother, against what Azerath had taught her since she was born. For a moment that stretched on forever Raven wanted to turn and run back up those stairs, leaving this man and the darkness behind. Throw herself on whatever fate Azerath had chosen for her in the city above, with the people above. Surely it was not so grim as the man who lurked here below.

Then she remembered the blood. The man's tunic had been red; almost prophetically he had chosen to don the color of blood today. He had tried to help her and she had rewarded him with death, before the eyes of his son no less. The sun, the green, the sound of children at play with their friends; those things were no longer for her, if they had ever been in the first place. She was a murderer and a monster, she resolved. And this is the sort of place a monster belongs.

Thoughts of fleeing vanished like autumn leaves in the first hard winter wind, and her posture gained just a bit more composure as she set herself on a course of action. Raven took two steps in the direction she thought Slade's voice had come from and bowed to her waist, as if greeting a Sage of Azerath.

"Yes," she answered. It was only one little word but in that dark void it seemed greater. He gave her no answer, a strange smelling cloth pressed down on her face by way of response. Raven did not resist as her fatigue was augmented and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Far away, within a strange structure by the sea, a wizard paused in his studies. Few would have recognized Dr. Fate without his celebrated golden helm; truthfully even he feared the day that blank shining visage would seem more familiar than his own face. But at this moment something else troubled him.

A peculiar sensation had just overtaken him: a sensation he believed was sometimes described as "someone walking over one's grave." A chill running down the spine and a sense of unprovoked, apparently source less, dread had seized him for a moment. Many learned men would dismiss this as just some trick of the body and superstition. Dr. Fate, learned in other ways, saw this as more than enough reason to be concerned.

A few swift words and gestures confirmed the wards guarding his dwelling were in place and that his sanctum itself remained inviolate. The lingering dread was not diminished by these facts though. As certain as the sun rises in the east, Dr. Fate realized somehow somewhere events had taken a dark turn.

Leaving his ancient tomes to grow a bit older, the troubled mage retired to his meditation chamber in the hopes of discerning the nature of the problem.

* * *

Raven awoke slowly to find herself laying atop a bed. As déjà vu worked its wonders she realized this was the same room Slade had brought her to last time. She briefly wondered if this manner of losing consciousness would become routine, when her nose detected a scent.

She rushed to the edge of the bed hoping to confirm her suspicions, a smile lit her face. A tray rested on the stone floor, holding a plate with three slices of bread, two pieces of fruit and a piece of brown meat. Her stomach growling anew she hopped down to the floor and devoured the meal, not deigning to notice the silverware. The glass she had originally overlooked contained cool water which did nicely to chase her meal down.

Her hunger satisfied Raven pondered what to do now. If this was anything like last time she was meant to wait for Slade's arrival. Leaving the cold floor she climbed back onto the bed and, for the first time, noticed a neatly folded pile of clothing resting on the blanket. Obviously, Slade had left them. She curiously inspected them.

First of all was a pair of fresh under garments. The next item dominated the pile; it looked a black version of Azerathean tunic, but with leggings added. Also the material seemed sturdier. Finally there was a pair of sturdy black shoes, along with socks.

The message in leaving the clothes was clear, atop the bed Raven stripped from the local clothing into what Slade had provided. The new clothes were more familiar than the local garments had been, but still not quite right. Raven plucked at the leggings and sighed. Did all the women in this world cover up their legs?

No sooner had she finished fastening on the shoes than the door to the chamber, perhaps her chamber now, slid open. Slade stood in the doorway, as calm and imposing as any predator ready to spring. Raven looked to meet his eye. She had agreed to this; no room remained for fear.

"Follow," he commanded. He turned and stepped from the doorway silent as a tiger. Raven took only a moment to register the command, hopping down from the bed the girl hurried through the doorway in the direction the man had gone.

* * *

The corridor beyond the room, perhaps her room now, was just as bleak. Bare concrete walls with steel and pipes protruding at regular intervals surrounded the man and the girl. Raven tried to keep track of their progress but gave up as each turn or doorway lead to identical passageways, and the poor lighting also hindered any chance of retracing her steps. She became increasingly aware of a sound, it was only a recent acquaintance, somewhere in the distance she heard the working of some great machine. The sound was faint but alone, save for Raven's own tiny footfalls.

This revelation made her snap her attention back to Slade's back. His progress was silent, and she feared what might happen if she was left alone in this gray labyrinth.

At last they came to a red metal door, with the flip of a switch by Slade the door slid open. Raven waited for Slade to enter, only for him to turn his eye on her. The silent message was clear, and Raven hesitantly passed through the doorway.

To say she was surprised by the room would be something of an understatement. The room was well lit, the majority of the floor was covered in a padding that was firm but still yielded slightly under her weight; and on the farthest wall, a long sword with a black tipped cross guard was crossed over what seemed to be a larger version of the weapons carried by the blue-jackets in the city. While hardly inspiring it still spoke far more than the bare furnishings of her room and the corridors. It vaguely reminded her of the training rooms in the tower occupied by the martial branch of the Azerathean monks. Well at least she had some idea of why she was here, Raven thought.

The whisper of the door closing prompted Raven to turn and watch as Slade stalked into the room.

"From what I have seen your powers act as a defense," Slade stated. She was not certain if it was a question, but decided it was best to answer anyway.

"The first time they happened it broke a cart that was going to hit me," Raven answered. Those words brought to mind the most recent use of her powers, but she quickly shoved that memory down in her mind as her stomach started to swirl.

"Do you have any control over it?" Slade demanded. This time at least there was no worry over whether or not it was a question.

"My mother started teaching me how to suppress my emotions. She said that would help," Rave answered. Once again he had picked at a running wound.

"Doubtful, emotions should either be used or made to wither. Locking them up is ineffective and potentially hazardous. In your case it could be the difference between a firecracker in a palm, and a firecracker in a fist," Slade stated. Raven just nodded, this was the second time he contradicted what she had been taught, but she believed offering any disagreement would be a bad idea.

"For your first lesson I want to see your power up close," Slade concluded.

Raven had time to blink processing what he had said when a vice closed on her shoulder and she was flying through the air to land on hard on the padded floor. She shook her head as she followed onto her back trying to clear her mind. Before she could pick herself up a steel enforced boot descended on her small chest.

Slade had to only bring some of his weight to bear to keep Raven pinned. Her body was weak and he was not sure of its limits, so for now he would keep actual damage to a minimum. He increased the pressure as she gave up trying to push herself up and wrapped her hands around his ankle.

As Raven tried to dislodge the boot she could feel her chest burning, and halfheartedly realized he was even pressing her down into the padding; further immobilizing her. She could barely breathe and a sensation she had come to dread started to build amongst her burning lungs. Reflexively she tried to contain the tingling that heralded the black force within her gathering. But as she recalled Slade's desire to seize this Raven realized that would not be a good idea. Raven relaxed her grip on the energy as best she could and let it grow taking its course.

Slade's instincts where honed from training and experience, to say they never failed him would be a lie, but it was no hard thing to realize he needed to move. The girl's eyes flared white for a moment as Slade's weight left her. The black energy burst outward four tentacles slashing the padding around her while three more clawed at the space Slade had just occupied. It was only about three seconds before they collapsed back into Raven.

Greedily gasping in the lovely oxygen Raven took a moment to realize Slade was standing over her. Pulling herself onto her knees she inclined her head waiting to hear what he had to say.

For his part Slade's eye calmly surveyed the damage done to the padding and a small scar left in the ceiling by one of the tentacles intended for him. His inspection complete he turned his head slightly to focus on the kneeling girl.

"Hmm, judging by the damage you did only fools and weaklings should fear you at the moment. We begin your training immediately; can you read English as well as you speak it?" Slade inquired. Raven nodded, and Slade's eye narrowed in what may have been approval.

"Your training begins after today, first your body must be made to obey your will alone. Perhaps after that you will be able to achieve the control you desire," Slade stated. She inclined her head, acknowledging his declaration, and at his gesture rose to her feet.

That day her training under one of the most dangerous humans in existence began. It would be two years before Raven saw the sun again. And all the while the world above continued to turn and change.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

_Well here we have another chapter. Things are starting to move along. For those of you who might be worried about getting to the action, we will not be going into _excessive_ detail about Raven's years training under Slade. Next chapter will wrap up Raven's training under Slade and some of my specialty(worldbuilding) as this opening arc ends. Conversely for those hungry for a lot more Raven-Slade interaction, we will be revisting her training years as time passes; not to mention the many snakes I have stashed in the mailbox._

_Finally some praise is due to my gifted Beta, Whispertomesoftly, without whom this story would drop at least one decade in quality. Your efforts are much appreciated my freund._

_And of course please press the green button, you know you want too._

_Until next time, be well._


	4. Rising

**_This chapter brought to you by: Badger Awareness Day, BE AWARE OF BADGERS!_**

_I still do not own Teen Titans, or a wall picture of the great Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck. But I do own a dvd featuring a seasons worth of the dysfunctial antics of eccentrics to the north._

_Finally before we start, a big thank you to Zim'smostloyalsevant, for stepping up in the absence of Whisper and Nocturne to offer advice and betaing services. Much obliged!_

**

* * *

**

Under Dark Wings

Routine defined the passage of time in the dark. As harsh a taskmaster as Slade was, Raven was glad for a return to some routine. On Azarath some schedule or other had defined her days and the pointless wanderings in the city above had been worrisome in and of themselves.

Her training was intense to be sure. The first weeks focused physically on developing her body into something Slade deemed worthy of beginning to train. But there was more to it than training her body. Once the masked man had determined the length and breadth of her ignorance, her regimen was divided into physical and mental training.

The exact disposition of her studies and training changed on a pattern she gave up trying to mark. She should read English thanks to her mother's spell, and the books she was ordered to commit to memory taught her much about Earth culture, society and history.

Unbeknownst to her a great deal of her reading material was selected to encourage a certain mindset. She thought nothing of it when in due course she read "The Prince" and "The Art of War." Her instructions also included matters not listed in most books, the workings of the world beneath the veneer of civilization.

As he promised, Slade gave her means to restrain her powers. Not meditation so much as a self-induced trance, to allow her to "go away inside". It was not a matter of suppressing or containing the emotions, so much as rising above them and observing everything including herself impartially.

The first time she achieved this detachment, she came back full of terror; Slade was not pleased. The imposing man felt no qualms to point out this was what she desired, and that more than the technique she had described would prevent her from being at war with herself. That fit with what she had learned, often we only have ourselves to rely on, and so she needed to be free of inner conflict. (1)

Now that she could control her power after a fashion her training could begin in earnest; she began to learn how to be a living weapon.

She could have tried to leave after learning what she had wanted; after all she had no desire to fight in anything but defense. Yet the question was always ready to spring and devour such thoughts: Where would she go if she left? Either on Azarath or in the world above no one wanted her; she was a monster and a murderer. As frightening as Slade could be he wanted her around.

Slade was often absent for great lengths of time. He left instructions that his servant conveyed to her during these times. With no sun and no calendar to mark time she had only the vague sense of time passing from her sleep cycle. Thankfully her sleep was exhausted and dreamless from the intense training and studying.

The servant was named Wintergreen she learned. He rarely spoke, usually passing on written instructions from Slade when he delivered her food or lead her to the training room. The quiet was disconcerting at first but she adjusted, after all why speak unless you have something to say, and her sharpening senses let her find some ease in the steady beat of the machinery she had heard when she first arrived.

Even as her body grew stronger and her mental horizons expanded her world shrank. For nearly two years her life was confined to two rooms and the corridors connecting them. There was little time to contemplate her isolation at least. She was grateful that by extension there was less time to reflect upon her past and the still murky future. The present was the only time she was allowed to grasp.

Training was all consuming, and yet seemingly directionless. There were moments were despite fatigue and preoccupation Raven would wonder what exactly she was being trained for. The one and only time she voiced this question to Slade the answer was simple:

"To be of use to me," he had answered.

It was a statement of fact, no question or hint of opinion. The certainty of her goal was both pleasant as it gave her a place, and also chilled her in remembrance of how he was unmoved by the death that defined their first encounter. In either case there was nothing to be done but continue forward guided by her schedule.

When the change came it was as sudden as it was unwelcome. Experience would in time shape a certain paranoid trend in Raven's personality to momentous changes. While she would never complain of them like a fearful child they would be something that would time and again make her apprehensive. The reason being that every meaningful turning point in her childhood was something she faced alone and unprepared for.

Her sleep cycle was interrupted when Wintergreen woke her. After over two years of sleeping exactly the same length of time and rising to the same alarm it was difficult to fully awaken. The old man got her dressed quickly enough, forgoing her training uniform for what she recalled as typical garb for a girl her age in America. They felt overly loose and restrictive.

She would have voiced her dissatisfaction, but obedience had become ingrained as a habit and recognized as safe since objections often carried consequences. The butler guided her from the room taking her hand. It was the first non-instructive physical contact she had experienced since her encounter with the unfortunate Dr. Stone, and the pleasantness was only matched by surprise at the simple act.

It was not long before Raven realized things were terribly wrong, at least by her limited understanding. The path was all wrong, even the blank walls bore some familiarity after prolonged repetition, and this was not the path to her training.

Like a young swimmer who finds themselves in the deepest end of the pool Raven was increasingly apprehensive as her surroundings became increasingly unfamiliar. The tightening of her grip unknown to her pleased the old man, seeing that despite the circumstances a basic humanity was alive and well.

At last the journey through Slade's labyrinth ended as Wintergreen guided her into… a garage. Raven knew what it was and the black car that rested in the otherwise vacant room; her lessons had covered common knowledge as well. Still she tilted her head that her caretaker would possess something so apparently normal.

Her confusion was short lived as Wintergreen walked up to the long black Rolls-Royce, and opened the back door for her.

"Please come along young miss, we must be going," he spoke with his normal gentle tone, though she barely caught urgency lingering between the words. Without further delay she entered the vehicle and sat down on the leather-covered seat, actually sinking into the cushions. She idly noted it was the most comfortable seat she had used to date.

Wasting no time the butler locked her in and placed himself in the driver's seat. With a turn of a key and the press of a pedal they were on their way. Raven's curiosity at the new experience was jogged when she realized something; they were going "up." The tunnel was not steep but clearly ascending – she was leaving the underground.

Either the entrance was uncovered, or more likely the way had been opened before the car approached, allowing them to seamlessly depart the underworld for the light of day.

The sunlight flooding in elicited a grumble from the girl. The long absence of such intense light not withstanding her lingering sleepiness objected to the intrusion.

"You should buckle up. The master would be most upset if you were injured," Wintergreen idly pointed out.

After a moment of raking her memory Raven remembered what he was talking about, and spent nearly a minute failing to get two receiving buckles to join before tying them the belts themselves together.

"Well that is one way to go about it I suppose," Wintergreen chuckled, observing her conundrum and solution through the rearview mirror. Raven felt her face flush in embarrassment, she hoped he would not inform Slade of this failure, and expected him to do just that.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Rather than looking out the windows she was watching her feet. She felt very exposed with only the thin glass and steel of the car around her, and the invasive light was hurting her eyes. So denied the classic distraction of watching the world go by she unwittingly engaged in another classic distraction.

"Another one of master's properties," he answered her.

"Why are we going there?" she pressed. After all unlike the imposing man in armor her respect fort the butler held no inherent fear.

"The base in Steel City will soon be compromised, and I am tasked with removing you to safety," he explained.

"Okay," Raven accepted the reasons. For about two minutes all was quiet in the car.

"When will get there?" Raven demanded.

"Soon enough," he answered.

"Are we there yet?" Raven pressed. (2)

**_

* * *

_**

Years Later, Philadelphia

All was quiet, and all was still, the lights had gone out leaving the faux grandeur of the chamber in vague shadows. The only illumination came from the red beams that stabbed through the darkness, warding off those that would pilfer the treasures they encircled. For years they had stood their nightly vigil unchallenged, such that beneath the Plexiglas the valuables still laid covered only by thin pieces of cloth. The owner saw it as a show of confidence, that unlike others in this business he did not cower and lock away his treasures in safes by night, for his entire building was thief proof.

Tonight the silence remained unbroken, even as something stirred in the stillness, thus the gauntlet was thrown. The intruder was small; covered in black cloth she moved as one of the shadows. Clinging like a spider to the ceiling the dark figure made its way to a metallic box bolted to the wall corner. Having reached her goal she reached into a pouch securely latched to her belt and retrieved a small pen like device. Twisting the end she activated it and was rewarded with a red beam that sprang a little more than three centimeters from its tip. Three slow cuts loosened a section of the box enough for her to pocket the mini-laser and peel back the casing in a triangle revealing the circuitry below.

Locating the relay she wanted she produced a circular device with a graphic S engraved on it, and let it adhere to the relay. A small red light appeared to the left of the S as electricity visibly surged through the machinery. In a matter of seconds the surge subsided and the light on the device turned to green. After a moment's hesitation the thief let herself drop to the floor, landing in a wide stance. Beneath the burglar mask she grinned as the beams of the alarm system struck her form to no effect.

With a manner identical to the casual shopper she walked among the displays weighing each item in her mind. At last a particular diamond necklace seemed to catch her eye, pausing in her search. She reached out a gloved hand until the tips of her fingers pressed against the Plexiglas. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, with the exhale her fingers seemed to become wrapped in shadow, with the darkness pouring forth and covering her arm to the elbow.

Encountering no more resistance than breaking the surface of a pond she reached through the display case and lifted the necklace from its resting place. The shadows poured over the jewelry and passed back through with the hand holding it. The display case remained untouched the absence of its treasure the only proof it had been violated.

Beneath her mask Raven smirked at the small victory.

**_Later_**

Most people liked to shield their living spaces from the inner workings of the structures they dwelled in. It practically fell under common sense to conceal the pipes and other working of your home behind walls and ceilings for aesthetics. Slade was anything but common; his command center stood in the midst of a massive engine, the unguarded borders of the walkways giving way to constant motion and noise. In a way it fit with his "insightful" worldview, with all of the inner workings laid bare for him to observe at his leisure and thus master what others preferred to avoid.

His hearing was tuned enough that through the noise he could detect a new addition, footsteps, booted and possessing a familiar rhythm. The mercenary-turned-villain did not rise from his throne and keep his attention focused on the massive computer screen that provided the only illumination. Raven stepped into his line of vision, lifting her gaze to watch the data from across the city play out.

She had already removed her burglar mask, revealing a face that was already moving into adolescence. Slade admitted he was no great judge in matters like female beauty, yet he was certain that in a few years she would possess a manner of mystery and power that would captivate people. A useful asset, even today most heroes were male and beautiful women made most men stupid. She had been growing her hair out of late, the purple mane reaching halfway down her neck and framing her face. Her training had seen it cut short for practicality, but he had been allowing her meaningless liberties lately and she seemed to be adopting a more feminine appearance.

This not quite act of defiance was far offset by her expression. Cold, her face was set in focus as she observed the information being relayed from across the city. The fear and doubt that had once dominated the girl were extinguished; all that remained of the little girl was a sense of curiosity and devotion that he had nurtured for his uses. Looking her over with his one good eye he decided things were going well enough.

"You had no trouble," Slade stated.

"None, it was simpler than getting an apple from the fridge," Raven boasted. She adopted the half smile that had developed over the years, a sign of her self-satisfaction.

"Hmm, that does not sound like a fitting test after all the time I have put into you. Perhaps I should have triggered the alarms. That would certainly have made things more interesting," Slade wondered aloud.

They still did not face each other during this exchange. Raven broke her gaze from the screen to remove her bag of jewelry from her belt. She tossed the black sack to her master who caught it in one hand without turning his head in the slightest – only to toss it right back to his apprentice.

Raven blinked in surprise and almost failed to catch the bag of valuables. She frowned at her master; she did not dare voice an actual question, but felt secure in expressing her dislike for unprecedented action.

"I will not be taking my 80% this time Raven. As it is your first job you can take the full stock as a reward for a job well done," Slade answered the unasked question. The deadly man finally turned to observe how his apprentice accepted this praise.

"Heh almost makes me wish I was the gold and jewels type. Would have grabbed some silver if I had known," Raven complained, her tone showing the entire line to be sarcasm.

"Hmm, why did you choose the jewelers over the bank?" Slade wondered.

"Master, I am not going to lose my innocence a cliché," Raven answered, her half grin returning.

**_

* * *

_**

Gotham City, Six Months Later, Annual Wayne Foundation Masquerade

Tim Drake wished he were anywhere but here. Yes, even a stakeout in the rain with no shelter was starting to sound good. Alfred had told him that Bruce's Halloween parties were considered one of the highlights of the high-class Gothamites' social calendar. Yet despite months if training under the world's greatest detective he could not imagine why anyone would look forward to this event. The costumes might have been interesting – the elite seemed to tackle the dress up seriously and had more than ample cash to burn on outfits they would wear only once - but the fact he dealt with arrogant pricks in costumes on a regular basis dampened his enthusiasm.

Even among the guests of his own generation the talk had been dry or absurdly trivial. Honestly, he did not think people actually talked about polo… it made him actually miss the inane gossip of the public school system. Bruce had insisted he attend, that was the only reason he had not left at least an hour ago. His mentor claimed that socializing even in this circle was a skill he needed to acquire. On paper Tim could agree with that, but in practice he was tempted to see if he could escape while Batman discussed something with an Arab gentleman.

The hairs stirring on the back of his head stirred him from thoughts of escape; someone was looking at him. With no small effort he had detached himself from the assembly of aristocrats, city officials and celebrities to lean against the wall next to the stairway. His lack of flashy attire and posture should have made it clear he did not desire attention, but someone was staring at him.

A scan of the peacock throng answered the question of whom; a girl who he judged to be roughly his age was making a beeline for him, detaching herself from the mass of merrymakers. Her attire was clearly meant to imitate Victorian gowns, but modified for greater comfort and two-toned to black with white. It fit her own coloring, with her pale face standing out against the black opera style mask she was holding in front of her eyes. Even her raven hair was bound up in an old-fashioned style. Prickling of familiarity made him try and recollect who she was. That puzzle fell into place as she placed a hand on the wall next to him and lowered her mask, revealing dark brown, nearly black eyes, as she leaned next to him.

"I can't blame you for coming up for air. The atmosphere over there is stifling," Raven Wilson commented. It might have been a friendly gesture, but something in her tone suggested she was joking at his expense. Taking measure of the so-called prodigy, the third Robin noticed she was sizing him up.

That really came as no surprise. The Wilson family was new among the few and powerful, particularly compared to storied names like Wayne, and they had already gained more than their share of infamy. Batman had once compared Stephen Wilson to the late Roland Dagett, amoral to immoral in using his wealth and influence to gain more wealth and influence. Ten years ago Stephen Wilson had risen from obscurity and through a series of hostile takeovers and claiming of a number of valuable patents had formed the ARES Group, which today was one of the top suppliers to the military of weapons development and military software.

And in addition to their official lines, which were far from benign, they were willing to sell weapons or supply mercenaries to any faction or dictatorship for the right price; what they did was either not technically illegal or could not be traced back to Wilson himself. Drake agreed when his mentor summed them up with one word, "Scum."

This girl was the infamous Stephen's adopted daughter, Raven, according to the records an orphan from one of the former communist states, a prodigy that was adopted by the head of ARES to be molded into his perfect heir. Blood related or not, having seen the white haired man he could tell she took after him.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Mr. Drake," Raven commented. Her English was impeccable, though slightly flavored by some Slavic accent.

"I didn't expect to be here. I guess your father roped you into this too," Tim replied.

"As his heir I am expected to learn how to rub elbows with important people and people that think they are important. You should be grateful, after all being here means Wayne hasn't discounted you yet," Miss Wilson shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Drake inquired, eyes narrowing.

"Oh you know you're not the first boy the Prince has taken in. He seems to have a thing for boys with black hair, a little projection maybe?

"Anyway I hear he took that Grayson boy everywhere and then all of a sudden he was kicked to the curb. From dining with Bruce Wayne in a mansion to walking a beat in Bludhaven, bet he is still kicking himself for biting the hand that fed him. Though he might have just gotten too old for Wayne's taste, if you read the tabloids," Raven explained. She ignored the growing hostility from the boy in favor of inspecting a bracelet of woven silver strapped to her wrist.

"Dick had his own reasons for leaving," Robin answered, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Oh? Is it one of those stupid boy things about being your own man? If that's the case it was a dumb idea, I mean after all he was nothing when Wayne took him in and now he's nothing again," Raven stated. She meet Tim's gaze a playful smirk adorning her face.

"_She's just trying to goad me,_" Robin repeated in his mind. Internally taking a deep breath he decided it was time to play her game and male his own move.

"Well there are worse things than being irrelevant," Tim pointed out. Raven's grin slipped, she was not pleased that he had slipped from the track she put him on.

"Really?" she asked.

"Definitely, being irrelevant means you are no help to anyone but at least you aren't a hindrance. The worst thing a person can be is harmful to others, being a part of society and living like a parasite taking whatever you want and giving nothing in return. Basically scum like those whose only purpose is providing the means to further misery and pain in the world," Drake explained.

Raven's eyebrow twitched as she easily caught the insult directed at her "father". As her grip tightened she felt something stir n her chest. Instinctively her mind began to grow lucid as she rose above herself, anger was the most difficult emotion to escape, but she had years of practice.

Drake frowned as he saw the girl's expression go from borderline rage to blank, almost like a switch was flipped. Without a word of excusing she turned and left him alone again. While Robin took some satisfaction from apparently winning the verbal exchange Raven made note to increase her control training. After all, as much as the notion of wiping this ignorant boy off the face of the Earth was, she could not afford slip-ups in public.

Unbeknownst to either teenager directly above them a pair of men had observed the exchange with interest. Both of them were impressive specimens, one young and handsome with dark hair, the other somewhat older with white hair and a stern expression. The younger man drained his champagne flute.

"You know he never actually defended me, why is that? He can stick up for Grayson but not a word in my defense?" Bruce Wayne gripped his voice already slurring.

"One should never expect gratitude from the younger generation. It took a great deal of effort to find a worthy heir, but it has proven to be a very sound investment, Mr. Wayne," Stephen Wilson observed. His glass eye was somewhat uncomfortable but his attention was solely on the Prince of Gotham.

Wayne was an accomplished actor, he played the part of drunken "gentleman" of leisure well, but Slade's eye was trained to look underneath facades. Most everyone saw the Wayne family head as a disgrace and a fool whose empire was cared for by greater men. But Slade knew each of those men gained their positions by Wayne's design and that when they acted out of character it could be traced to Wayne. Bruce Wayne was far more competent than he let on, and it made Slade wonder how much of his hedonism was just an act for the media.

Likely the playboy person was meant to make people underestimate him. The fact that Wayne Enterprises remained steady despite all that had happened was a testament to his skills as head of the company. But since Wayne shunned the military industrial complex, his abilities were of no concern to the villain.

Bruce Wayne was no threat to him.

**_

* * *

_**

Three Weeks before Ravens 15th birthday

Yet another vast and dark chamber – it said something of Slade that this was a recurring feature of his lairs. A massive monitor screen provided the only illumination with its blank white light silhouetting the man and his apprentice. Pressing a button on the remote in his hand, the screen filled and Slade began to speak.

"These last few years the world has become quite dangerous. A tripod, the most unstable of all structures, represents the global power struggle. What's more, two of the legs are trying to kill the third but are occupied with worry over their rivalry, and the third would love to topple the other two. A delicate balance maintained only by the unwillingness of any one participant to escalate the conflict.

"It all began with an act of betrayal. The Thangarian invasion and subsequent attempt to destroy the Earth to reverse the fortunes of that empire in a massive war changed everything. Once again the world was barely saved from destruction. This seems to have served as an eye opener to the Superman. Because the disorganized heroes of Earth could hardly mobilize to defend the world and the states for the most part were unequipped and unprepared. Thus with one grand gesture the last son of Krypton laid the seeds for the next world war."

The screen flashed through images of Hawkgirl, the Invasion, and finally a "Times" cover bearing the legend "Justice League Unlimited".

"The Justice League rose from the ashes of betrayal and the destruction of the first Watchtower stronger than ever. Over night the Justice League went from a band of heroes watching over the world to a private army of metahumans and some of the most dangerous humans on the planet. With a mandate to act as the police force of the world and a space station headquarters beyond any national sovereignty the world's strategic situation was radically altered.

"The new Watchtower not only puts the JL beyond most jurisdictions but represents a weapon of mass destruction controlled by a private organization. With anyone else the station alone would merit action by the United Nations or one of the great powers, but the Justice League is nearly untouchable due to their reputation as defenders of the people. Or rather they were.

"The states of the world are not sitting idly by in the face of repeated humiliation and impotence in defending their interests without vigilante assistance. Khandaq, with the ascension of Teth Adam as supreme leader, saw the first modern metahuman government and sent alarm bells off throughout the world's capitals. Every major nation has struggled to find answers to the metahuman question and by extension the Justice League.

"China and Russia have both deputized or conscripted metahumans and humans of talent to augment their own militaries and security forces. North Korea and several third world nations have implemented pogroms against metahumans and indoctrinate hatred to masked humans as well. In Japan private corporations have sponsored the formation of the Rising Sun Squad to defend those countries' interests, which often coincide with the interests of the Squad's financial backers. Britain, with its proactive outreach to the metahumans, has seen both an influx of immigrants from America and other nations less amenable to super powers. The Cavaliers, though formed privately, have been deputized by the Parliament and crown to serve in a capacity similar to Great Ten in China.

"Whether harnessing metahumans or persecuting them each nation has had to make a choice, with one exception. The United States more than any other nation seems to be plagued by super heroes, super villains, and endless battles between the two. It is the birthplace of the Justice League and as the last super power stands to loose the most from the increasing interference by the League with their foreign and domestic policy.

"Officially, America is tolerant with equality under the law for all citizens, but as always law and practice are quite different. The USA is sharply divided on the metahuman question – on one extreme the Disciples of Krypton have created a new polytheism around the JL and in particular Superman. On the other side the Human Defense League has made a martyr of the late Lex Luthor as an example of human ingenuity defying the power of those who could take control of Earth from the human race. While these factions and their brothers remain on the fringe the tension rising between the American government and the Justice League drive more people towards radicalism in anticipation of conflict.

"Aside from Captain Marvel and the Minutemen Washington allegedly has no superhuman assets, but no one truly believes that. The only question, for those privy to such perspectives, is when will the Americans make their move against the League and which side will the people and the heroes stand with?

"And while the forces of order contend for the right to police the world the elephant is still in the room. The villainy has become a different business from what it was ten years ago. The majority of the world's heroes, be they masked humans or metahumans, are now controlled by either Superman or a government. They are organized, disciplined, and far more effective. Going solo in costumed crime means facing the might of either the Justice League or an entire nation.

"Darwinism has been at work, and rather than dying out the villains have in turn become far more deadly to survive the forces arrayed against them. Grodd with his Legion of Doom blazed the trail with a protection racket/union to allow villains support and autonomy and others have followed his example. The HIVE, the League of Shadows, the Brotherhood of Evil… the list goes on. Established villains have either been neutralized or forced to seek protection by pledging themselves to an organization. And each faction actively scouts the population for talent to train and shape to their purposes. The few independents that remain active are those who passed the final cut, remaining prosperous and free despite the pressure exerted by the great factions.

"This is the world you are stepping out into, a true powder keg that could explode any day," Slade concluded. (3)

His presentation finished, Slade turned to regard his apprentice, clad in the attire of her new identity. She had started with a scaled down version of his own armor adjusted for the female form. Her power allowed her to carry the weight better than her fame would indicate; she had even further encased her feet in steel for the sake of her kicks. Surprisingly she had adopted a black version of the cloak she had worn as a child; it did seem to suit her. The mask was where she had made the most alterations. It did not encase Raven's head – a wide wedge in the face armor exposed her mouth and chin to the world. Behind her ears the mask covered only the top of her head, letting her purple hair hang around the shoulders. Unlike him, she left no doubt as to her metahuman nature, a bold declaration in these troubled times.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" she asked.

"No, after all you have been trained by one of the few who remains free from this power struggle. But it is time you proved yourself worthy to stand by my side when the order collapses and the world is there for the taking," Slade explained. Raven grinned; it was a full expression, sincere in her desire to prove her worth to the man who had given her purpose and direction.

"What's my mission?" Raven queried. Slade's mask gave no hint to his feelings as he pressed a button his remote and the screen changed. Now it was divided into five sections, each showing an image of a strange teenager.

"Your task is not a question of what, so much as whom, my dear Midnight," Slade told her.

Behind her mask Midnight's eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of the Teen Titans.

* * *

(1). Yes this is different from what the monks of Azerath would have taught her. As such it will have different long-term effects than the OTL act of compartmentalizing and dividing herself.

(2). A child is a child.

(3). Just so you know I will be refraining from such tiresome monologues in the future. I will be using IU sources for world building, along with some good ole Martinite mentioned as relevant world building.

**A.N.**_ This concldes the opening sequence, now we **finally** get to the main body of the story with Midnight versus Titans in Jump City._


	5. Measuring

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Teen Titans. Really I if I owned it do you think the series would have gone as it did? Though given the priorities of the mainstream media and the strange priorities of DC it would likely have been closer to that than this.

Oh well, hope you enjoy this chapter.

As ever, any thanks to Zim'smostloyalservant for excellent betaing services.

* * *

_"I said that if it's true about this world, if it's one enormous stage, then we're just merely actors playing out our roles on it. But I've always wondered why can't there be those who can change their roles?" _- _Gordon Rosewater, Big O_

**Taking Measure**

Midnight watched the demonstration with a blank expression. She sat atop a platform in a large room obscured by darkness. The chair she sat upon was throne-like but simple in its design; solid and not so large as to draw excessive attention to her own height. The view screen before her provided most of the illumination as the oddly commercial-like demonstration of the three young villains played out.

Though she supposed it was to be expected. Unlike most of the major villain factions, the HIVE was oriented more towards business than grand plans of conquest and supremacy. Gone were the days when amateur "bad guys" could safely hone their skills and gain valuable experience against conventional law enforcement and C-list heroes. The JL had set up chapters in major cities with heroes constantly watching over the area. The Titans were such an example, though with a Bat Disciple involved they seemed to have more autonomy. Where the League was kept out, the jurisdiction was handled either by state sponsored vigilantes or troops trained for such eventualities.

True these attempts at containment failed more often than not when dealing with powerful and experienced villains, even ones of mediocre quality who had just mastered the basics. But rookies got their asses kicked and mounted over the fireplace.

Enter the HIVE; take in those same rookies and train them up until they whet their teeth on the streets. While the student body and particularly faculty were a formidable force, the point was money. Renting out muscle, brains, magic, skill and whatever you could desire in a supervillain. Or, for a large enough sum, you could buy the student's allegiance indefinitely.

So, while the HIVE was not the most dangerous faction, they served as a valued member of the outlaw society and a perennial vexation for the JL.

So of course when she expressed interest in purchasing their best rookies they pulled out all the stops to impress Midnight. Hence this near commercial production promoting their wares, an act that, to her mind, verged on a joke in poor taste.

Though she supposed it was impressive after a fashion. This trio covered three of the main fields of power: science, physical/fighter, and magic. One was a scientific genius and the magic user possessed high intelligence. That they were a team accustomed to working together was also a boon. Still, rookies were rookies and the arrogance she could plainly detect in their movements was unfounded.

As the video ended the gray haired Headmistress emerged from the shadows. She was old, but not so old as that, conveying vast experience while still retaining potency. Her demeanor and dress called to mind more an authoritarian's preferred bureaucrat than a villain. The presence she projected spoke of precision and perfection, and a permeating disapproval of all beyond those boundaries.

"These three represent our most promising team of graduates, and their abilities are certain to grow in time," the old woman stated without a trace boast. The hidden message being that their price tag would go up as said time passed.

"An impressive demonstration to be sure. Yet it is not tests and obstacle courses they would face in my service," Midnight commented, clasping her hands before her mouth.

"What test do you require?" The headmistress asked plainly. The customer is always right held true among villains.

"A final exam of sorts, a practical. Destroy the Teen Titans," Midnight declared. The three aspiring students bowed in acceptance of the task as the lights went out leaving all in darkness.

**

* * *

**

Titan's Tower:

The main chamber of the tower was designed to be a focal point, both command center and socializing area. Practically it increased the likelihood that the team members would be close at hand in the event of an emergency. Less practically, certain individuals thought the great view would be wasted on a war room.

The large chamber held many features and interests, but was dominated by the window wall that held the view screen/television and the large couch before it. At the moment, however, the vaunted screen was only an associate to the Titans' attentions.

"How could you lose the remote?" Cyborg yelled as he opened the drawer in a cabinet.

"What makes you think I lost it?" the green changeling cried out as he reverted to his natural form. As a mouse he had been searching a number of hard to reach places for the coveted device.

"Because you had it last! How am I supposed to change the channel without a remote?" Cyborg responded angrily. While the two Titans argued, a third Titan sat on the couch lifting a magazine over her face in a vain attempt to keep the increasingly loud argument from reaching her. The steadily increasing tap rate of her foot on the floor indicated the effort was failing.

"What's on anyway?" Beast Boy wondered aloud. The two Titan lads turned their attention to the big screen halting in their search, and eliciting a sigh of relief from their female compatriot.

"The History Channel now brings you a documentary by Ken Burns…" the TV spoke. The two screamed and redoubled their efforts.

"Change the channel quick!" Beast Boy screamed. Cyborg just growled in irritation at the redundant question, lifting the couch to better inspect the floor beneath, and inadvertently dumping the girl sitting on it.

She let out a startled sound best described as a high-pitched bark as she hit the floor. She shot to her feet, the magazine now crumpled in her fist as her infuriated and indignant gaze swept over the offending males. Their obliviousness to her attention calmed her a bit… well, not so much calming as actually thinking how to gain their attention so as to properly show them how stupid and dead they were.

An idea came and she would have grinned if her mood weren't so bad.

"Sadly the year 1833 would bring no relief and hold many MONSTER TRUCKS! A FURIOUS METAL AND MIGHT MATCH IN WHICH NO QUARTER IS GIVEN AND NONE IS ASKED! BE THERE!" the TV announced as calm tones gave way to crazed exclamations.

This got the lads' attention as they halted in their search at the unmistakable but rightfully impossible sound of a channel being flipped. They were greeted with the sight of their teammate leaning in front of the TV, pressing a button with a minus symbol at the base of the screen, looking at them with gleeful contempt.

"What's this? The channel has been changed? Hark, it appears someone installed two buttons on the TV itself to that purpose for those who possess the brain to get up off their asses and use!" she yelled. Cyborg frowned at the heretical words and drifted over to look down at the much smaller Titan. As always her outfit was Gothic black-and-dark blue with her pink hair pulled back to reach behind her head in a pair of "horns", and her eyes concealed by a pair of wraparound sunglasses.

"Don't even joke like that Jinx," he declared with a slight menace to his tone. Jinx was unperturbed as she planted her hands on her hips and met his brown and red gaze with her dark one.

"It wasn't a joke, couch potato," Jinx deadpanned.

"Good, because it wasn't funny!" Cyborg bellowed into her face, actually stirring her horns. Honor satisfied he returned to his search only to be pursued by an irate Jinx, who continued to rant at him on the stupidity of the situation only for Beast Boy to jump into his comrade's defense.

"And that is the secret to traveling faster than the speed of light," Starfire happily explained to Robin as the door slid open to admit the two Titans. Whatever conversation the two had been having was forgotten as they were presented with the scene of Jinx and Beast Boy furiously arguing, both gesturing heatedly at the TV while Cyborg seemed to be destroying the couch.

"Whoa Titans! Combat practice isn't until this afternoon," Robin called out. As he became the object of their complaints against one another Starfire drifted over to the miniature fridge. While the conflicts between her Earther friends often puzzled her there was thankfully one custom that transcended her culture and theirs – the cessation of conflict to satisfy basic hunger.

The alien girl, however, had failed to take into account that while regulations called for keeping the mini-fridge stocked, it was only rarely used. Thus the food that had been in there for at least three months was revealed upon her opening to have become… some kind of thing. When aforesaid thing made an aggressive move, instincts honed on the battlefield lead her to strike preemptively with a fully powered star bolt.

Whatever it had been, it had certainly been combustible. Its, thankfully dead, remains splattered across the room and the Titans themselves. Having gotten a prodigious coating of said goo Starfire wiped her face mostly clean to turn to her mostly silent friends, who oddly enough seemed to have frozen in the midst of their conflict.

Well, she had achieved her objective, though not in a manner she would have lightly chosen. Yuck.

"Maybe we should all go out for pizza?" Robin suggested. The others gave murmured assent as they tried to wipe themselves off. Starfire beamed at the aptly named Boy Wonder; he had salvaged her plans without even being told them! Truly Robin was a wondrous being!

* * *

**ARES Jump Branch Office:**

The office was large and wide, truthfully a waste of space considering every centimeter cost money when acquiring property in the heart of a thriving city's business district. The room was decorated with pieces from Raven's personal collection, antique weapons from Europe and America and a few pieces of art depicting conflict - a fitting, or perhaps cliché, scheme for a branch head in a company that supplied the United States military. The oddest piece was a painting depicting Hideyoshi Toyotomi. A favorite historical figure of Raven's, he was a peasant in feudal Japan who, through a combination of high intelligence and almost supernatural manipulative skills, had ended his life as de facto ruler of a unified Japan. To her he stood as proof of skill and intelligence triumphing over circumstances of birth.

Her desk was wide and crafted of dark materials, a silver raven statuette the only decoration. Papers were laid out on its surface detailing the activities in the Branch office and in the few labs under their supervision. The locals had not been exactly thrilled at her appointment; boss's daughter or not, it rankled their university certified pride to be subordinate to a teenager. But her chiefly observe and advise approach, along with the fact that they had no choice, had caused them to accept the situation.

Her father did not believe in micromanaging and neither did she. So long as they were performing optimally she saw no point in exercising her authority for its own sake. If she saw an opportunity to improve the workings of the branch she would take it, but for now she had higher concerns.

Pressing a tiny button on a small panel to her left the large grey curtain behind her was pulled back, revealing the fourth wall to be nothing but Plexiglas. Turning in her comfortable desk chair she looked out over the city. ARES kept its offices in the top two floors of a prominent piece of the Jump City skyline. For the grunts it was for prestige, but she loved the view. From here she could even see a certain Tower.

Raven had spent a considerable amount of her life underground, or sealed into buildings that may as well have been. As a result she had no qualms about such confining quarters; truthfully she had come to feel at peace in such secure environments. But this roofless expanse held the promise of new experiences and glory to be obtained. Heroes weren't the only ones to crave adventure. She also had someone to prove herself to.

It was the world she had been driven from. And now it was just about time for her return to it… to start making waves.

**

* * *

**

Big Tony's Premiere Pizza:

As the establishment was one known to be frequented by the local heroes it did a brisk business. While there were always those who went out of their way to avoid anything to do with Metas and Masks, there were those who were likewise drawn to the supposed thrill. So several customers came originally for the off chance of seeing a Titan in person, though the food was also quite good. As a sign of appreciation for the notoriety their patronage brought, they were always given the best table available, preferably one on the upper floor deck. They could have gotten meals for free if they had asked; which Jinx had only to be overruled by Robin on grounds of heroes not being in it for perks.

It could have been an almost idyllic scene, well, in modern terms anyway. Beautiful day, a group of teenagers gathered for a sumptuous lunch, all seeming to indicate good times and good cheer.

"Veggie pizza!" Beast Boy called out over his menu.

"Dude, how can you deny me the all meat experience?" Cyborg complained jovially. Like an old shoe, the argument was worn and comfortable, the sort of cordial conflict that is a mark of long friendship.

"No way, I've been most of those animals!" Beast Boy objected with proper indignation.

"Well have you been an anchovy?" Jinx inquired, peaking over her menu.

"…Not that I recall," Beast Boy cautiously answered.

"Then you second my vote on anchovies," Jinx snapped her menu shut, revealing her catty grin.

"I would also partake of the tiny fish," Starfire added in her usual pleasant tone.

"Veto! Robin you're the leader, don't let them desecrate a perfectly good pie with the second worst topping in history!" Cyborg cried out, gripping his head in panic at the thought.

"Hey you can't use my vote! Vegetarian tofu special all the way!" BB leaned over the table, yelling into Jinx's grinning face.

"No take backs; sorry that's democracy for you," Jinx shrugged, looking a bit sorry.

"Well I'm taking it back anyway!" Beast Boy boldly declared, puffing out his chest.

"Hmm, if you want to take it back then you admit to having already giving it. So that makes it three votes for anchovies, I win," Jinx grinned wider. Beast Boy's expression fell as he sort of made sense of what she said as Cyborg forgot his outrage to laugh uproariously.

"Oh she's got your number BB, girl should look into being a lawyer or something with that way with words," Cyborg chuckled, before adding in a deadpan, "But seriously, no way are we getting anchovies."

Whatever response Robin had to make over the argument was lost when a scream rended the air. As one the Titans sprang up from their seats, Starfire into the air zeroing in on the commotion. The source of the cry was not located as its general direction brought the crisis itself to their attention. A bus was rolling down the hill, accelerating visibly beyond what was permitted and to Cyborg's enhanced eye and Robin's especially trained ones it was clearly driverless. And what's more in its path was a child small enough to be a toddler.

"Titans go!" Robin commanded as they sprang into action. Starfire with her flight was the first and dispatched the obvious first objective, sweeping down to scoop the child up into safety.

Jinx moved quickly, her glasses starting to glow as she gathered energy for a specialized spell. The hex she fired from her left hand was pencil thin, striking the bus approximately in front of the driver's seat. Inside the bus, purple energy sparked along the brake handle as it pulled into engagement. Slowing but not stopping it ran into Cyborg; bracing himself he was pushed back only centimeters before the already slowing vehicle ground to a halt.

"Don't buses usually have drivers?" he observed with a mixture of sarcasm and genuine worry. As he spared a glance at the empty bus, Jinx walked up to the scene, looking it over critically.

Beast Boy and Robin stood further down the hill, the situation not having warranted their involvement. While Beast Boy's thoughts were turning back to pizza with the matter apparently resolved, Robin was already trying to piece together the how and why.

"Friends, this young one is most strange," Starfire called out as she darted down to Robin and Beast boy. Holding out what seemed to be a brown haired child in overalls and a red shirt she squeaked in surprise as its head rotated a full 180 degrees to face Robin. The alien girl's discomfort was understandable, as the face wouldn't even rate as a doll; with light bulb eyes and a clearly mechanical mouth it could never hope to pass for human.

"Are you clutch heads always this stupid?" a nasally voice spoke through its crude mouth as the eyes began to flash red. Immediately reacting to the obvious warning signs, Robin seized the robot from Starfire and hurled it up into the air. The explosion was still powerful enough to scatter the three Titans on the ground and cover the area in smoke.

"What the hell?" Cyborg yelled, having watched the event unfold further up the hill. Jinx, clearly taken aback, was about to add something as she heard metal shifting. They both turned in time to see the bus they stopped being lifted up into the air by a massive someone. Realizing what was about to happen, Jinx paled and Cyborg lunged to tackle her. It was just as Cyborg came over top of her the assailant brought the bus down hard on both of them.

With an amused chuckle, Mammoth leapt over the wreckage to land amidst the clearing smoke.

Robin was already on his feet, birdarang drawn; as he scanned the scene, he accounted for his teammates, a bit dazed but otherwise fine. It was less than a second after confirming this that he locked onto three figures advancing on them through the smoke.

"Who are you?" the Boy Wonder demanded.

"We are the HIVE!" a small pale bald (kid?) declared. He was dressed in a green jumpsuit with a tool belt but what demanded attention was the robotic legs that carried him over the ground.

"Your worst nightmare," Mammoth declared. He was bigger than even Cyborg, wearing black and gold body armor, the bestial appearance afforded by his fangs enhanced by long wild reddish brown hair. Altogether he was the physical opposite of his diminutive bald comrade.

"And this is the end for you," the final assailant declared. He was clearly Asian, his black gi and top knot indicating Japan, a Kanji painted onto the material over his chest in white. He held a wooden bo staff against his shoulder and a blank expression on his face.

Robin's two teammates rallied to flank him in a like model, everyone's attention being diverted as a sonic blast sent the ruined bus upwards. Cyborg stood up from the damaged street brandishing his canon arm while Jinx rose up from her sheltered position, hands already aglow with hexes.

"No one sucker punches me and laughs!" Cyborg bellowed. Jinx offered no verbal retort, but her sunglasses once again began to glow purple as she gathered her magic to a purpose.

Susano turned part way to face uphill, one eye measuring up the two Titans.

"Alpha pattern," he stated. Without any further warning the HIVE sprang into action. Susano leapt into the air up the hill, his staff striking the ground on his descent, wind erupting from the impact and propelling him up the hill like a bullet, a whirlwind in his wake. Jinx had loosed both hexes at him only for a spin of his staff to deflect the energy. She only had time to raise her arms in a block as he barreled into her.

Cyborg, turning to aid Jinx as she was knocked back and onto the ground, heard Robin call out a warning as a familiar sizzling sound reached his ears.

"Flash fusing? Oh this can't be good," Cyborg thought.

"Have a nice trip bolt brain!" Gizmo yelled as he engaged the rocket he had just attached to Cyborg's back. Before he could even hope to react Cyborg was propelled into the air, the rocket accelerating and changing directions at random as per programming.

"Cyborg!" Starfire cried out as she witnessed her friend's peril. Without a second thought she shot into the sky to aid her friend in escaping the infernal device on his back.

Robin's mouth settled into a hard line. This was not good; or rather these guys _were_ good. The Titans had lost the opening round with that one move costing them the advantage of numbers, and Jinx was separated from them. His attention focused on the bald boy now descending the hill on his robot legs; he had moved very fast with that jet pack just now to sneak up on Cyborg. Robin decided whatever the others' capabilities, taking this one down was top priority.

"He's mine," Robin told Beast Boy without taking his attention off the two advancing villains.

"Sweet, I'll keep Bigfoot off your back," Beast Boy grinned.

Jinx was on the defensive – she hated being on the defensive. She flowed around the lightning bolt her opponent shot at her from the end of his staff. He was a magic user, apparently specializing in elements, in this case lightning. She wished she could read the kanji he was wearing. Then there was that first attack; did he also have wind affinity? Her opponent struck the butt of his staff to the ground and grinned at her, the confrontation turned into a standoff.

"You carry something of a reputation witch. I am Susano. I carry the blood of a storm god in me and call upon the power of the storm in battle. What's more I am the leader of these elite, the outcome of this battle was determined the moment I-" Susano announced. He was cut off as a hex bolt struck him in the chest, sending him sliding back nearly a meter but not knocking him off his feet.

Closing the distance Jinx aimed a kick at his bowed head only for the blow to be caught on his staff. He looked up to meet her face to face, his expression bursting with anger at her brief success. He pushed her off and as she recovered her balance whipped his staff up for an overhead strike. Jinx rolled to the right as the staff came down in a blur humming with electricity. The pavement split under the impact and before she could take the opening he brought it to bear, letting loose more lightning. Back flipping out of the bolts' path she landed with a bolt of her own already charged and let it loose.

Sneering in contempt, Susano brought the staff to bear, catching the bolt. The purple energy danced along its length for a moment before being overtaken by bluish electrical discharges.

"Your magic is causality based; very potent in disrupting complex magics or machines, and quite versatile in combat. However, against the pure power of elemental forces it is like trying to chop down a tree with a scalpel. You cannot win little witch." The HIVE student decreed. He fired off three more bolts, forcing Jinx to dodge and try to block the last one with a bolt of her own. The bolt swallowed the hex, but was diminished in force enough to strike the ground in front of Jinx rather than its intended target.

As she tried to pick herself up he advanced, shouldering his staff, a calm and pleased look on his face. She looked up from her knees as he towered over her.

"You need not feel shamed, it is only natural for the tiger to overcome the deer," he stated. Jinx's sunglasses glowed purple as her own face split in a grin. Susano's eyes widened as he noticed the glow peaking from beneath the hand she was supporting herself on, just as threads of purple broke through the concrete he stood upon.

He leapt into the air, only gaining a handful of centimeters before the street blew apart, sending him whirling uncontrolled and hitting the ground hard.

"Grr, impudent witch," he growled face down on the pavement. He only gritted his teeth as a foot brought Jinx's weight down on his right wrist. Reflexively he released the staff to use the leverage to push her off him. She sprang back and he lifted his empty hand. Lightning gathered in his palm and after a moment to charge surged forth as a bolt. Jinx calmly lifted her own hand and let loose a hex that swallowed the bolt even as it was canceled out. Following up on her counterattack she came forward and swung for his head. He caught the blow on his firearm only to bend over as her knee sank into his stomach. The witch did not let up, striking his lowered chin with an open palmed blow, with a hex already charged in that palm.

The blow lifted him off his feet and into the air; she actually heard his teeth slam together. As he landed sprawled on the pavement she kicked up his staff and caught it in her left hand. Advancing on the downed foe she decided turnabout was fair play.

"Your power is not spells, its natural from divine ancestry, but the power is diluted; without this staff as a focus your powers are wild and wasteful energies. And as a weapons specialist you become no better than a novice without your toy," the Titan taunted. She stood over the larger teen now and, gripping the weapon properly, pointed it menacingly at his bared throat.

When he tilted his head up in grin she felt that tingling in her missing eye that always warned of peril. Without bothering to lift himself up, Susano merely snapped his fingers, and lightning erupted from the staff coursing through a screaming Jinx. She fell face first to the ground, her clothes smoking and her hair turned into a pointy mess with sparks still leaping from it, and the staff hovering upright in the air.

Susano rose to his feet and dusted off his gi; extending his left hand his staff flew to it and was secured in his grip.

"My Storm Staff serves only one master. As I said, the outcome was inevitable the moment I stepped onto this battlefield," he announced to the downed witch. Turning his attention downhill he saw the battle was going as expected, and moved to intervene. Leaping into the air with a tap of his staff, he took no notice of Jinx's pained but wakeful groan.

Beast Boy was not a warmonger; he did not se his goal in life as battle. He would be quite happy to spend the day playing videogames, watching TV and writing in forums about the first two. But he was not one to shy from a good fight; his time in the Doom Patrol had pounded more soldier ethics into his head than most realized. And in this case, he was angry at having a perfectly good pizza run spoiled.

He wasn't going to give his hulking opponent the first move. Starting at a run, he morphed into a rhino as it became a charge, the massive weight and force bearing down on Mammoth. Mammoth decided against countering this power with his own, instead sidestepping it and reaching out to grab the horn as he shifted his own weight.

Beast Boy did not realize what was about to happen until he was already airborne, his opponent harnessing his own momentum to turn him on the spot and send him airborne.

The rhino slammed into a parked SUV, crushing it like a spent soda can. Shaking its head the rhino reverted to Beast Boy, who glared at his opponent who only gave a knowing smile, and a come hither gesture.

This time it was an elephant bearing down on him. Mammoth was a bit surprised; just because he preferred doing too thinking did not make him a fool. Did the green geek think the same tactic would work with a bigger critter?

Regardless, he rolled to avoid the trunk and tusks, coming to stand beneath its vulnerable underbelly. Heaving the leathery flesh, he lifted it off the ground… only for the weight to vanish?

Looking up with a confused expression he saw only sky above him. Until a green humming bird buzzed by his face. As he tried to smack the tiny nuisance he became increasingly irritated. What was even the point of this, besides pissing him off?

Just as suddenly, the humming bird was gone and he was looking around trying to figure out what was going on. He just registered the shadow falling over him before a bull hippo fell from the sky to smash him into the ground. If hippopotamuses could grin he would have.

As it turns out, though, they can widen their eyes in surprise, as it did when Mammoth rose, holding the massive beasty aloft. Grinning from ear to ear he tossed it with all his prodigious strength. Which sent it through a wall.

"Mammoth, now!" Susano called out. The massive villain frowned at the hole he just made, but turned to make haste towards the fight.

In his own mind, Gizmo was the most awesome thing at the HIVE. Mammoth was just another brawler who happened to have more ammo in the things brawlers praised. As for Susano, his Japanese "superior" was carried by his birth more than any of the training and skill he had. He, Gizmo, on the other hand, overcame his various disadvantages and turned them into strengths. His weapons were all either of his own design or tweaked by him to optimum effect. Even if he was to lose some of his weapons he could make bombs and weapons out of common household items in minutes. He was the brain and brain always prevailed over brawn in the end.

This time, though, it looked like brain was loosing to color blind ninja. Robin was a bit tougher than he had expected. In truth, a great deal tougher.

That staff of his was handled with far more skill than Susano's and it was impossible too keep a bead on him. Which was insane since he stood out like a circus performer!

Gizmo had already lost one of his legs. A well-placed birdarang had wedged itself in a joint before exploding. The follow up strike by the Boy Wonder's staff had left it dead weight, forcing him to jettison it. As a tripod he was still mobile, but not enough to pursue someone like this. The only reason he had not been taken out yet was using his chest-mounted canon to keep him at bay.

Robin leapt over the explosion caused by the latest blast and let loose a trio of birdarangs at Gizmo. Rearing back, he blocked the projectiles with the remaining foreleg. He sighed when none of them exploded. Only to scream when Robin landed under him and struck one of the hind legs, making it kick up. He could do nothing but flail as his apparatus fell backward, onto the street.

Robin was about to take advantage of Gizmo's predicament when his senses told him to dodge like hell. The lightning bolt singed his cape as it passed. He turned to see the Japanese villain land softly on his feet. His arrival did not bode well for Jinx. Robin brought his own staff to bear as the new challenger shifted into a stance.

Rather than attacking Susano called out.

"Mammoth, now!"

Gizmo had recovered and now moved to stand near Susano. Mammoth landed in front of them, drop kicking the pavement. As the street rippled Susano twirled his staff, gathering lightning till it poured out of both ends, before slamming the butt of it into the ground, the energy joining the shock wave. Gizmo, grinning like he had not just been getting his ass kicked, fired a heavy artillery charge into the wave of destruction.

It seemed there was nothing Robin could do as the entire street around him gave way and he plummeted into the darkness below.

"No way," Beast Boy whispered. He had seen the triple attack from start to finish, limping from the hole he had made. Standing there shocked he was brought out of it as a gray hand seized his wrist. Snapping too, he met the sight of Jinx having a very bad hair day.

"Out of here, now," she told him. Waiting for no reply she dragged her fellow Titan back into the hole and out of sight. Meanwhile, the HIVE had gathered at the edge of their triumphant hole.

"Colorblind pretty boy, that's what happens when you mess with me," Gizmo taunted the darkness, blowing a raspberry.

"Heh, they weren't much of anything," Mammoth grinned. They both cried out as the butt of a staff struck them atop their heads. Susano struck the pavement with his staff, gaining an audible crack that made his co-students wince even more.

"Be quiet. We must make preparations for our follow up offensive. Keeping them off their feet is essential," he commanded.

**

* * *

**

Titans Tower:

The large doorway slid open, admitting Jinx and Beast Boy, who was leaning on her for support. The mood was grim as she helped him into one of the chairs in their lobby. He looked up at her with an expression still holding traces of shock.

"That didn't just happen, tell me that didn't just happen," the changeling quietly pleaded.

"It happened," Jinx answered stonily. She walked off, leaving him to reflect despite his best efforts. They had just been ordering pizza; not an hour ago there had been no greater struggle than finding the remote.

Jinx returned with a first aid kit in hand. Kneeling down, she opened the kit and began to properly bandage his wound.

"Didn't know we had a doctor in the house," he commented with a forced grin.

"My magic is more suited to breaking than mending, but I can do this," the pink haired Titan answered. Placing one hand over the newly bound wound a much more bluish purple than usual energy ran over her hand into the bindings and the flesh beyond. His face released tension he had not realized it was holding.

"You just said you couldn't heal, liar," he chuckled. She lightly slapped the top of his head.

"It's not healing, I just fooled your body into not feeling the pain. It's better than meds because your head stays clear," she explained.

Once more the doors opened, followed by a big "woo".

"Woo man! That was some crazy ride guys! I must have been halfway to Metropolis before Star got that thing off me!" Cyborg announced jovially. He seemed to take no notice of the downcast moods of his teammates as he and Star strode in.

"Alright, tell me how bad we kicked their butts, you know I've gotta have the play by play," Cyborg continued, though his tone suggested he was realizing something was wrong.

"We didn't," Jinx answered. Cyborg's good eye widened at that while Starfire glanced around.

"Where is Robin?" she asked. Both Titans wilted at the question, neither wanting to give the answer.

"He's gone Star," Beast Boy answered, getting to his feet.

"Gone? Where has he gone?" Starfire demanded, her tone getting shrill.

"I looked through the sewers after the HIVE left; all I could find was this," Jinx stated. She unbuckled the utility belt no one had realized she was wearing and held it up for them to see.

"No, I should have been there!" Cyborg cursed, slapping the metal half of his face. Starfire marched forward and snatched the belt from Jinx, the force of the act startling the witch.

"People do not just vanish! If he is gone, then he is somewhere, so go there and find him!" the Tamaranaean demanded. The whole time she advanced on Jinx brandishing the belt, forcing her to take a few steps back.

"Star, don't," Beast Boy interrupted, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. Turning to face him with angered eyes her expression gave way to sadness and she let her arms fall to her sides.

"It's my fault, I should have been there," Cyborg cursed himself.

Then the doors blew in.

"Knock, knock," Gizmo taunted as the HIVE advanced through the entryway, fully retooled for battle.

"YOU! How dare you invade our home?" Starfire yelled, her eyes aglow in fury.

"A bit gaudy, don't you think?" Susano commented.

"But we'll take it anyway," Mammoth grinned.

* * *

The sounds of struggle could be heard from the tower, punctuated by colorful illuminations from the windows. One by one, the four Titans were cast out of their trademark structure and into the bay waters. Apparently giving no consideration to the island they made their ways to the shore.

The Titans pulled themselves out of the drink onto the stony shore. They were silent as they traveled the rocks to reach a level area above the tide line. Jinx plopped down on a relatively flat stone and began to wring out her hair. Between the earlier electrocution and her swim just now, her pink hair hung around her head unrecognizable from its accustomed style.

"That could have gone better," Beast Boy spoke up, looking at his feet. Cyborg didn't respond, glancing down at his missing arm and glaring across the water at their lost tower.

"Captain understatement strikes again," Jinx hissed. The fact he just stood there and took it spoke volumes on the situation.

"I wish Robin was here," Starfire stated meekly. Jinx thought she could actually see Cyborg snap at the words.

"Well he's not! We just got our asses kicked out of our own house and a pint-sized poindexter took me for a joy ride. Don't you get it! They won, we lost, it's OVER!" the cybernetic teen bellowed. He tried to spread his arms for emphasis; the fact that he lacked the arm to make it work made it worse and ridiculous at the same time.

"So, should we call the League for back up?" Jinx asked. It was her turn to study her feet, knowing what she was suggesting.

"That would mean the end of the Teen Titans," Beast Boy stated. They couldn't tell if he was objecting or just stating a fact.

"I don't think things are quite that bad yet," a strong voice brimming with confidence declared. As one the Titans whirled to face inland and were met with the sight of Robin, who apart from his missing belt seemed no worse the wear. Starfire cried out his name as she embraced him with enough enthusiasm to perhaps kill him for real. The boys rushed forward, excitement turning their despair on its heels. Jinx remained seated, separate from the glow of the reunion, but still compelled to smile at it.

**

* * *

**

Titan's Tower, Later:

Susano stood atop Titan's Tower, the cool sea wind coursing about him but failing to touch him. He had long questioned the viability of this fortress, and his suspicions seemed affirmed in how readily it had fallen to him. Yet he could see the appeal; from here the whole of Jump spread out before him, and yet he was separate, the bay clearly dividing the tower and its keepers from the masses.

"Lord of all I survey," he recited the ancient ambition. Putting aside his musings he pulled a round flip-open communicator from his gi and activated it. The device unfolded and after a few seconds of static the masked face of Midnight appeared.

"What do you have to report?" she stated in that unnerving monotone.

"I report victory. Titan's Tower is ours, the enemy has fled in confusion and shame," he reported proudly.

"Oh, I was not aware a mere building was your objective," Midnight answered. Susano kept his features schooled at this unexpected turn of events.

"My command was for you to destroy the Titans, and you have just admitted they fled with their lives," Midnight elaborated.

"Not all of them, their leader is no more," Suano declared, his confidence returning.

"Robin dead? Do you have proof?" Midnight asked, seeming to affect interest while not caring. Susano held the captured utility belt up to be viewed. She seemed underwhelmed by his trophy.

"If that is all you have then you have nothing. Either finish the job in your next encounter or consider my proposal withdrawn," Midnight decreed. The communication device sparked as it powered down and proceeded to fall apart into a mass of circuits and wires that Susano let fall through his hands.

It was no matter, he decided. The Titans would return to retake their tower; they need only wait and victory would come to them.

**

* * *

**

Sunset, the next day:

Where were they, Susano wondered? The HIVE had secured the Tower and now were killing time in the main chamber. Gizmo had gone over the Tower to see if anything of value could be located. Nothing out of the ordinary had been revealed. The vault in the lower levels was hyper secure and the personal quarters of Robin and Cyborg had formidable anti-intruder tech; while Gizmo likely could have gained entry in time, Susano had tasked him with replacing the tech he lost in his fight with Cyborg. Jinx's chambers seemed to have a magic ward on them and Susano was not about to waste his skills on raiding a witch's meager stores. They had gained access to the changeling's and alien's chambers, but found nothing worth taking within.

So they had waited and prepared, to no action. Gizmo, having retooled, was in the midst of some decorating, mounting his somewhat disturbing trophy on the wall. Mammoth had tidied the tower up; the large man had always held a neat streak belying his barbaric appearance. All of it was rather useless, as Susano intended to destroy the Tower after dealing with the Titans. After all, the JL would not take kindly to their actions, and he would pick retreat over confrontation every time in regards to the major players of the Justice League.

For the moment he amused himself by going through the DVDs they had assembled in the room, with apparently no organizing system. Finding yet another C-list sci-fi movie he promptly disintegrated the disk and container with a jolt of lightning. Spotting a Tartakovsky and a Miyazaki he promptly tossed the two over his shoulder to join the small pile of worthies he was making on the couch. He bolted upright at Gizmo's scream.

The demigod registered his teammate being seized by Cyborg's severed arm a moment before it sprouted rockets and propelled the diminutive villain out the door and down the hall. The Titans were back, and they seemed to be trying for a divide and conquer strategy.

"Mammoth!" he called as he sprinted after Gizmo. The chase in short order led him to the roof with Mammoth in tow. Finding Gizmo picking himself up before the Titans was expected; the number of Titans was not. He meet Robin's solemn gaze with his own, the two leaders taking measure of one another. Susano decided he could leave the task of dispatching this one to no one but himself.

"Pattern alpha," the self-proclaimed Lightning Lord commanded. The HIVE scattered and the fight was on.

Mammoth sprang back as a purple hex flashed through the air he was about to pass through. Turning, he fell into a stance facing the witch Susano had defeated last time. He grinned at the prospect of this fight; they thought they were clever putting him against some ranged fighter to keep him from using his superior fighting skills.

The villain thrust his hands down into the roof and ripped up a section of it as a shield – just in time, as she let loose twin hexes that he caught on the piece of concrete. The impact shattered his shield down the middle but took the attack as needed. Hefting the two shards he threw them at her like a Frisbee.

With a look of some distress, Jinx ducked the first projectile and leapt over the second as it skipped on the roof. Having regained her footing she was knocked back intro the air as Mammoth landed in front of her, drop kicking the floor. The roof buckled and cracked under the impact, leaving Jinx sprawled before the grinning giant.

A bovine roar made him widen his eyes in surprise as a green bull plowed into him at full charge. Knocked down and trampled, he came up angry and looking for the culprit. Beast Boy found him first, as a tiger descended on Mammoth. The catch was credited to honed reflexes, seizing the oncoming predator just before the paws hit, he hurled himself back onto the ground taking the tiger with him, slamming it head first into the abused ground they stood upon.

Coming back to his feet, Mammoth grinned, seeing that the tiger was not stirring, and grabbed its tail to deliver a fitting finish. No sooner had he begun to haul the beast up then did its weight vanish and he was holding a much bushier tail. With a different pattern of stripes.

He was wondering what he was holding when the green skunk sprayed its trademark right into his face. Howling in distress the villain tossed the rodent aside, gripping his face in an attempt to still the assault on his enhanced senses.

The twin hexes nailed him square in the chest, completely unprepared to take the hit. Knocked onto his back yet again he found himself in the shadow of something. As a tooth lined cave opened before him with a deafening roar Mammoth screamed shamelessly.

Gizmo danced around screaming as he lost any and all control of his tech pack. Cyborg's upgraded firewall had not only repulsed the hack but had uploaded a little virus of his own, causing everything to activate on the pack, overloading all control systems and just now causing the machine to crash with an impressive electrical discharge.

Walking over to the twitching bald kid, Cyborg ripped off the sparking tech pack and crushed it. Then he set to tying the green nuisance up.

They were both quite skilled in the art of the staff. Attack, block, parry, advance, retreat; in this discipline they seemed to be well matched. At first thrilled at a worthy match in his preferred martial art, Susano became uneasy that neither of his subordinates had come to his aid.

The next strike was charged with lightning, prompting Robin to dodge rather than block. Susano smirked to himself as he drove the Titan back; he feared rightfully the prospect of his Storm Staffs power.

A hawk's cry pierced the twilight air. He caught the swiftly approaching green hawk through the corner of his eye and pivoted to face it. Holding his staff like a rifle he let a thin and deadly bolt loose at the intervening changeling. There was no connection as the hawk winked out of existence.

A green mouse landed on the back of his right hand and scurried up his sleeve. Susano cried out in a high pitch he would never admit to, dancing about as his one free hand struck his body in a vain attempt to crush Beast Boy. Robin, not one to squander an advantage, struck the lead villain on side of the head with his staff, a ring his reward as Susano fell to ground.

The green mouse scurried out of the downed villain's sleeve and returned to his proper form at Robin's side. Robin hastily picked up the dropped Storm Staff to deny its use to his opponent. Already back on his feet, Susano grinned at the sight of his staff, and snapped his fingers.

Electricity visibly ran down the length of the staff, while Robin's insulated gloves simply lost some of their paint job. Susano lost his grin.

"Fool us once shame on us, fool us twice? I don't think so," Cyborg announced, joining his teammates, his sonic cannon already prepped. Sparing a glance at his teammates, Susano saw them bound and guarded by the witch.

"I advise you to surrender, now," Robin declared. Susano raised his hands eliciting a grin, from Beast Boy. Taking a deep breath, he released the air with the force of a gale over the Titans.

Cyborg only had time to raise one arm over his face as the wind pushed him back, letting his blast off as it sadly went wide of the target. Taking the form of a gorilla, Beast Boy secured himself. Drawing a birdarang Robin imbedded the weapon in the Tower roof in one strike, securing himself. Unfortunately, his split focus was enough for the elemental mage's summons to break Robin's grip on the Storm Staff. Oblivious to the howling wind, it flew to its master's waiting grasp.

Once he felt the reassuring weight of the staff in his grasp Susano tapped the butt of it against the ground, and shot up into the air. Spinning the staff lazily over his head, he looked down on the Titans as the wind rippled around him.

"Fools, the storm commands the allegiance of wind and lightning in equal measure!" he gloated from on high. Increasing the speed of the staff till it was a blur, the air around him seemed to darken as a tornado began to form.

"Even if I cannot destroy you Titans, you will gain nothing from this victory but a pile of rubble! Now taste my-" Susano proclaimed before he was cut off by a star bolt to the back. The wind ceased to turn as he brought his staff into a combat position.

Starfire broke into the eye of the storm, eyes aglow with both boundless confidence and righteous fury. The villain raised his staff to catch the punch meant for his face. For all the good it did as his arms buckled under the impact, his nose audibly cracking as the staff rammed into it. With a cry of pain he lashed out with a one handed strike that the alien girl caught in her hand. Just as the shock coursed through her she struck another blow, this time to his chest.

The wind knocked out of him kicked up her hair, but the Titan ripped the staff from his grasp and cast it aside into the winds. He gave a squawk as he began to fall without the staff's power, only to be arrested in his descent as Starfire grabbed him by his gi at the chest.

"I don't need the staff to fight stupid girl," he wheezed, gathering lightning in the palms of his hand. His maniacal grin was shattered as the Tamaranean head butted him with a crack.

"You will not destroy our home," Starfire told him. The words were surprisingly devoid of anger; it was a statement of simple fact. Hefting him aloft Starfire flipped in the air and threw him down with all the force she could bring to bear. He hit hard, giving only a pained cough before his eyes rolled up into his head as hair line cracks spread from the impact. Jinx let out an impressed whistle at the finishing move.

"Way to go Star!" Cyborg called out.

Gizmo watched his unconscious team leader get tied up with growing agitation.

"Stupid Midnight, this job…" his words degenerated into muttered curses, before he was seized by the collar. He looked up to meet the intense attention of the Boy Wonder.

"Who is Midnight?" Robin demanded.

"Like I'd tell you geeks," Gizmo taunted, grinning anew.

**

* * *

**

Titan's Tower, Main Chamber, Later:

"GAAAH! This is the worst thing ever; my season collections, my vintage sci-fi flicks, gone!" Beast Boy screamed as he investigated his DVDs.

"Someone disposed of all our questionable furry food," Starfire reported, opening the mini fridge.

"The good news is that my room is alright," Jinx added coming into the room. Stopping as something caught her eye she reached into the trash bin and pulled out an unopened can of Surly Swede anchovies. Giving a humph at other peoples lack of good taste, she proceeded to wash the can.

"You're kidding me? The entire place gets the evil maid service and the remote is still missing?" Cyborg complained, turning over the couch cushions. A whistle drew his attention to Robin, who pointed down at the much sought after device, resting on the coffee table. Rather than raging at the revelation, Cyborg simply took a seat on the couch as Robin and the other Titans joined him.

"Well that was interesting," Cyborg pointed out.

"We kicked butt," Beast Boy affirmed.

"I did not sadly, but his face was punched most vigorously," Starfire admitted.

"Cyborg, with all your science and stuff, why don't you just put a remote function in your arm?" Jinx asked.

"Because, well… huh. That's a good idea," Cyborg admitted looking thoughtful.

"No! Now I'll never be able to watch anything good!" Beast Boy wailed. Jinx cackled at his antics as Cyborg began laying out plans in his head for an arm-mounted clicker. Starfire looked over to Robin, seeing a pensive look on his face.

"Robin? Are you troubled?" she asked concerned. Turning to look at her, a smile graced his face.

"It can wait, right now I'm just glad to be part of the team," he told her. As he turned the television on, all seemed right with the world.

**

* * *

**

Elsewhere:

"I assure you such failure is not tolerated within the HIVE. Once the students have been retrieved from the authorities they will face discipline – severe discipline," the Headmistress stated. Her expression and voice remained composed, but she gave emphasis to her final words by slamming a fist into her open palm.

Once more the two villains met in the dark, the sole illumination provided by an enormous screen displaying the HIVE crest. Midnight rose from her throne and the Headmistress, betraying nothing with movement, prepared for any possibilities.

"It is of no consequence to me what you do with them. It was never my expectation for them to succeed. After all they were not the ones I wanted tested. In fact they actually managed to send a message for me in addition to what I planned." Manipulating a mechanism on her belt beneath the cover of her cloak, Midnight activated the recording.

The HIVE crest vanished, replaced by footage of Robin demanding, "Who is Midnight?" With each loop the number of images doubled, filling the screen with his image and the room with his question. The Headmistress, despite her years of experience, felt a chill as half of Midnight's mouth turned upward in a smirk.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

Well now the new arc is off and we enter the AU Season 1. If you are concerned about Raven/Midnight mirroring Slade's OTL actions, don't worry. As his apprentice she is following his playbook at this point so it makes sense that her methods would be similar at the onset. However, as she has her own villainous quirk and is not hunting an apprentice her course of action will become less synonymous with canon as we progress.

Oh, and be honest. Did any of you think I would have Jinx as the fifth Titan? Also I introduced an OC, hope that doesn't send readers running for the hills.

Thank you for reading and please review.

P.S.

To any Kindred series readers, you are not forgotten. I actually am working on the next installment and if it is not ready by the end of the month I have some filler material to post. Either way it will be moving up to the top of my listed materials. Cripes, I thought I was done with these four month interludes!


	6. Encountering

**__**

Disclaimer: Nope, I still do not own Teen Titans.

Sorry for the delays!

******Thank you to Zim'smostloyalservant, my dependable beta reader.**

****

_It's generally a good idea to stay away from holes when fighting evil. Even when you dig them yourself __them yourself. Always check when you come back the next day. Throw Rocks down or something. Evil likes to hide out in holes.- Quinton Zempfester, "Thieves & Kings" _

**Encountering**

Devil's Gate Maximum Security Prison; the name was old and it had grown into it. After all, as far as most of those in the distant city were concerned it was devils that were locked within the lonely fortress. He recalled hearing that a monastery had stood here once, or had it been a real fort?

Either way, he could see why one would build here, the rise in the arid terrain that spread inland from Jump allowed one a commanding view of the territory. The night let him see the lights of the city, and the lesser glow of the suburbs, a gulf of unsettled darkness between the black mass and those glittering jewels of civilization.

Not for the first time he pondered how you can tell a lot about a country by its prisons. In this case wealth was abundant, the structure massive, solid and well kept, and he could imagine the well trained and armed guards prowling its walls and corridors.

Yet it was so removed, hidden like a _Niño's_ magazines from the eyes of a mother. The Gringos, as always, flew a double standard, while trying to hide the second standard behind the first. He knew the rumors of what was done these days to keep the doors barred as opposed to revolving in years past. Despite proclamations of enlightenment and humanitarianism, the public and states had lost their patience with metas who disrupted their bloated sugar fattened society.

Some of them he was certain were false, while he knew most were true. Yet he had no outrage at such treatment; he came from a land that had been cruel to the weak and those who made powerful enemies were given no aid or quarter. If anything irritated him it was that unlike the sun scorched city he hailed from these people denied the wickedness of their ways. The Don had once told him the difference between a man and a boy was that a man is willing to stand by his deeds good or bad, while a boy…

A beeping broke him from his thoughts. He looked down to his watch and saw it was time to get to work. He grinned at the prospect, shutting off the alarm. It was good, he thought, warming up. His mind wandered so when he was left idle, doing always beats thinking both in fighting and in seeking satisfaction. And with a rocket launcher this big satisfaction was guaranteed, Ricardo Guerra thought.

"Time for the boom," he chuckled to himself lifting the launcher to his shoulder.

_

* * *

_

Later:

Johnny Frost(1) paused, giving a furtive look about the ruined gate. A big chunk was missing from both halves where a missile, or something, had allegedly hit and then they were torn from their hinges. The cons who got here first seemed to have knocked out the guards, or they had been broken trying to stop their unknown benefactor.

What the hell, it was no business of his. What mattered was Johnny getting early parole with no strings; who says metas did nothing good for the common man? His sprint past the gates was cut short as a bola came out of the night and wrapped around his legs, sending him crashing into the ground.

"Fuck!" he cried as he tried to get up only to come face to face with the Teen Titans.

"No get out of jail free card for you dude," Beast Boy taunted as Cyborg used a low set tazer to knock the convict out. Robin gave a troubled look to the gates – no way to fix that quickly, and the guards were obviously preoccupied with the riot they could hear.

"Jinx! Hold position here and make sure none of them escape," Robin ordered. The pink haired Goth bristled at being left behind.

"What? I'm a power player; you need me in the fight not on guard duty!" Jinx objected. Robin narrowed his eyes turning to face his subordinate.

"We don't have time to argue, the situation could be deteriorating by the moment. You have your orders," he stated sternly. She was the first to break eye contact, turning her head aside with a "hmph" that managed to convey acquiescence and displeasure.

The remaining Titans proceeded inside quickly. The courtyard was littered with guards injured and worse; whatever hit them came fast and hard. No wonder the situation was like this, Robin guessed their forces had been crippled trying to stop the break-in and now were tied up trying to keep the prison from collapsing in a riot.

While the metahuman prisoners had to be the priority a mass breakout of normal criminals was unacceptable.

"Starfire, get to the riot and assist the guards in putting it down. No time to be delicate, we may need you," Robin called up to the floating Titan girl. While she wanted to object she had been a soldier in wartime, and Robin was more a commander at the moment than a friend she could tell. So with a simple nod of acknowledgement she shot off towards where things sounded their worst.

The remaining Titans continued their pursuit of the intruder.

The trail of destruction was easy to follow; the rioters made a mess, but Robin couldn't see them ripping their way through reinforced steel barriers. That would change quickly though if they didn't stop the intruder from reaching the only objective worth this much effort; the Special Security Sector, which housed metahuman and super villain prisoners.

Another telling sign was the lack of rioters in their path, this was the eye of the storm where the first escapees had been literally broken out, and hastily removed themselves from whatever had done so.

Robin ground his teeth wondering how many escaped before they arrived. These prisoners may not have been threats to the city or the world but they did not get in here by benefiting their communities.

At last they ran into a group of men in orange running toward them. The men of mixed ages and appearance skidded to a halt at the sight of the three advancing heroes. They never stood a chance, two of them hastily tied up by bird bolas, two more knocked out when Cyborg bashed their heads together, and Beast Boy turning into a massive gorilla, making the final convict faint with a roar into his face. The Titans continued on without breaking their stride.

They fell into their arrow formation with Robin at point as they heard the sound of flame on metal. This new area was wider, almost arena like with only a balcony above them holding cells before the impressive steel door that cordoned off the normal prisoners from the super villains. And there was their target, a massive form in a black shirt, jeans, and wielding a massive cutting torch apparently halfway through cutting his way in.

"Freeze, you're under arrest!" Robin called, drawing a birdarang. Surprisingly, the intruder did turn off the torch, setting it aside as he turned to face them, crossing his unnaturally bulky arms over his chest.

He was clearly a metahuman of some kind; his skin was grey with darker streaks running down his arms (though they could be tattoos), his white hair fell about his shoulders in a mane and a pair of short white horns poked up from the corners of his brow. What set him apart was his size – he towered over even Cyborg, but his arms were like tree trunks with a barrel chest that impressed despite the shirt. His legs were only propionate to his size but with the easy way he moved they surely were more powerful than they looked. Which made things worse as Robin could tell the motions of a trained fighter with ease after his apprenticeship.

The Boy Wonder found himself thinking of Bane, and felt unease rise in his mind at the thought of the legendary criminal.

It did not help that the intruder's face was covered by a red mask split between his eyes by a gold thunderbolt with a black crescent overlaid over his brow, and holes for his horns.

"The Teen Titans… didn't know if you were showing. But just the fellas, parties are always better with _chicas_," the intruder commented a definite but clear accent coloring his words. Rubbing his chins he looked over the heroes thoughtfully, whether approving or disapproving Robin couldn't say.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded, refusing to be distracted by banter.

"I am Ricardo Guerra, nice to meet you _Niños_," the man sneered jovially.

"Wait a minute, Ricardo? What kind of lame villain name is that!" Beast Boy shouted, appearing in front of Robin and pointing an accusing finger at the massive man.

"I am not one of your _gringo_ super villains! I am a mercenary that happens to be a metahuman! Besides, I like my name, it is my name!" the mercenary retorted.

"You are so a villain, you wear a mask! What about your secret identity!" Beast Boy insisted.

"What secret identity? I am a gray giant of a man who looks like he can bench press a truck; though I can lift a lot more than that.

"As for the mask it represents my fighter's pride! Though dressing like that you either have no pride at all, or far too much of it," Guerra commented looking Beast Boy up and down.

"Well you are still a villain and you are going down, Luchadore!" Beast Boy called him out.

"What? Are you trying to label me _Niño_? ! My name is Ricardo Guerra, come over here and I'll make it so you won't even be saying your own name right," the massive man growled.

"Say didn't you have a mask despite the whole "no secret identity" thing?" Cyborg asked Beast Boy.

"I was going through a phase!" Beast Boy objected.

"TITANS! GO!" Robin bellowed, a vein throbbing on his brow. Snapping out of the banter the Titans fell into battle formation, Robin's first birdarangs taking flight.

With a sneer Guerra crossed his arms over his neck, the projectiles ricocheting off them to no apparent damage. He was somewhat surprised as he lowered his arms to see a gorilla punching him in the stomach. Taking a step back as the air seemed to be knocked out of him, the green gorilla followed through with a two handed overhead smash. Only to blink in surprise when the masked man caught his hairy fists with seeming ease.

"_Uh oh,_" he thought.

A white toothy grin was his only warning before Guerra's knee struck him in his own stomach. The gorilla coughed out as it bent over, thankfully holding its shape as Guerra's hands were free to come down in their own smash, knocking Beast Boy to the floor unconscious.

As intended, Cyborg's sonic blast hit him squarely in the back, drawing his attention from the downed Titan. Turning to face the burliest Titan, Guerra grinned wider and cracked his knuckles. Cyborg answered the unstated challenge, cracking his neck and bringing his own fists together in a dull clang.

Guerra didn't notice the wires around him until they tightened, pining his arms to his side. The electric charge light up the wires and for a moment made his hair stand on end. Cyborg initially winced as the criminal cried out, then scowled when he realized the man was laughing.

Ricardo's right arm burst out sending fragments of the live wire flying. Seizing the still glowing fragment wrapped around his waist he turned and swung a surprised Robin around and straight into a surprised Cyborg.

"I think this guy is asking for a Sonic Boom," Cyborg growled as they got up. Guerra was heading back to the door he had been cutting through.

"Definitely," Robin answered.

Guerra did not see what happened next; he had already decided these heroes came as overrated. He did turn when he heard a cry and a sonic blast struck the wall several meters to his left. The two Titans were tangled in a heap as a bomb of some kind exploded in front of them. Guerra shook his head as the smoke cleared showing the two Titans charred and sprawled on the floor, he gave them a big thumb's down.

"Epic failure _Niños_," Guerra declared.

"How bout this then!" Beast Boy called out. Guerra turned in time to see the green rhino bearing down on him. He did what any super powered man would do in the situation, leapt out of the way. Ricardo came out of the roll as the rhino hit home; apparently Beast Boy had been too dazed to react in time to stop before impact. Conveniently, he had hit the security block door and knocked in the hole Guerra had been cutting.

"_Gracias,_" he gave the green lad a two-fingered salute as he continued the mission.

_

* * *

_

Warehouse District:

"I see you were successful," Midnight commented, as Guerra made his way into the warehouse.

"_Si_, but job was far easier than you said. These Niños were nothing but a speed bump. Quite rude, too. I even had time to let some blue magician out of his cage," Ricardo Guerra commented as he unshouldered the containment unit. He looked a question at Midnight who gestured to an empty space on the floor. Without further ado he gently placed the cylinder on the ground. Leaning down thus he got another good look at the thin bald man floating in the liquid.

"Is not very impressive is he? Has he a cool costume or some such for intimidating?" Guerra asked, glancing to his employer.

"You'll see, wake him," Midnight grinned. Ricardo turned a thoughtful eye to the containment unit. He wasn't much of a technical man, and most of what he did know revolved around weapons. Deciding the liquid was the key to this big sleep, he slammed an elbow into the cylinder. Cracks exploded across the once pristine surface for a second before a large section of the cylinder collapsed into pieces.

"That's one way to do it," Midnight commented, eyes drifting to the auxiliary power unit at the CU's top. But for now her attention focused on the man picking himself up from the remaining liquid, drowsy but conscious.

"I'm awake? I should never be awake! I'm only human when I'm sleeping!" the poor man screamed.

"Your distress is understandable; your other form is repulsive. But my plan calls for Plasmus," Midnight answered with hollow ringing sympathy. Guerra took a step back as slime poured off the man, spilling out of the cylinder. Not that he was intimidated; his concern was slime stains on his good combat boots.

The blob hauled itself up into a man shape, disgusting liquid noises rising from it mouth. Greedy green eyes swept over the two figures present, its simple mind locking onto the smaller creature as the most likely prey.

Guerra grinned as the abomination turned to loom over Midnight; time to see what the girl could do. His grin did not waver despite the monster leaning over her, obscuring Midnight from his vision. He did blink as a cracking sound cut through its gurgling before it fell onto its back. His attention fell to the beast, which had almost been cut through by an X pattern of slashes over its chest. So he failed to note Midnight returning her weapon to concealment in her cloak.

"I think we have established a chain of command," she deadpanned. Guerra laughed uproariously as the monster pulled itself together. This kid was interesting!

_

* * *

_

Upper District, Jump City:

"Why are the ribs always gone?" Cyborg asked no one. The metallic Titan sat at a corner table in his favorite all you can eat barbecue joint. The Honey Pit was one of his main areas of retreat when he needed to be away from his teammates or life in general. He was hardly unique in that regards – Robin had the tower roof, Star went flying, Jinx disappeared somewhere (probably some Gothic place he thought), and… well, BB may have been the exception.

As a waiter replaced his plate with a heap of freshly treated meats he dug in with less enthusiasm than before. After storming out he had crashed at the auxiliary HQ. The back up headquarters was actually hidden in the suburbs of Jump under an abandoned gas station. It lacked the comforts of the tower but had the essentials; it had been perfect for regrouping and retooling when the HIVE occupied the Tower. It had actually been Robin's idea; he had found the expensive venture excessive.

Robin… dang, he was really going to have to cross that bridge sooner rather than later. Robin had mad skills and was a better detective than him, but he didn't even realize how arrogant he was! The Boy Wonder may have been reluctant to take the leadership role when the Titans started but he was certainly a Napoleon Jr. when he felt like it.

Cyborg however considered himself an honest man, and there was no getting around the fact his current situation was mostly his fault. They had both been upset over the epic failure at the jail break-in, particularly the total failure of their combo. That incident effectively clenched a win for that Guerra guy. When two proud guys with perfectionist streaks both messed up sparks would fly. Yet he had taken things too far with saying he quit. What was he, eight, to storm off like that?

It wasn't like he was actually going to quit. He had come to Jump City to get a fresh start away from his old life and mistakes. Becoming a superhero had not been on the agenda, but it wasn't like as Cyborg he could land a decent job. They claimed a lack of experience, but with most of them he could read between the lines. Normal people saw people like him as a trouble magnet; though considering how his life was turning out it wasn't a wholly unfounded notion.

Gah! He needed to stop waxing philosophic and all that crap; he was ignoring the simple and overwhelming problem before him: How to get back with his friends after trying to burn his bridge. Robin was hard to read, but even if he was sorry for his role in this mess Cyborg was not about to come back on his knees with flowers and chocolates begging forgiveness.

"Yeh!" Cyborg winced at that image. His father used to say that if after due thought you can't find the solution it may be best to seek advice. That was limited options. Robin was out, obviously. Star barely understood the culture on Earth, so her advice would be either useless or damning. Jinx was smart and seemed a bit more worldly, but she liked her pranks and might take advantage of the situation. Beast Boy… hell no.

Cleaning a bone of meat with one dragging bite he decided. He'd give himself another hour to rack his brain, and if nothing decent came to him he would call Jinx and deal with her shit when he had too.

Then something went boom outside.

His plate and everything else shook while his glass tipped over. Cyborg was on his feet and all business, ripping his napkin off his chest. This was the best BBQ place in the city, located in a ritzy part of town, which meant lots of stuff worth knocking over. No one called him on running out without paying, he was a regular and this sort of thing happened.

Guerra stepped out into the street, the large case tucked under his arm. The case was padded on the inside so the take wasn't as big as one would think at a glance. But size and value rarely go hand and hand; he had a priceless relic of Bonaparte in there, though selling it appealed that fact alone would motivate him to rip apart the fool that would desecrate it.

He would have preferred a bank or some such since the goal was not to get away but fight. The girl wanted it to be convincing though, and she laid down those dollars for him to do what she said. He had never quite grasped the appeal of these drawn out plots, after all in the end it just came down to smarts and power in a fight. So why bother with the pageantry? But it was no concern of his so long as he got paid.

"I don't think I heard about a sale at the war museum, mind if I check your receipt?" a familiar voice called out. The crowd parted and began to disperse before Cyborg's arrival on the scene. Guerra sat his prize on the sidewalk, glancing around for other Titans.

"Is this that witty banter I hear about? Needs work. Where are your _amigos_?" Guerra asked cracking his knuckles.

"I'm flying solo tonight," Cyborg stated, his hand shifting into a cannon. Without further ado he took aim and let a blast loose at Guerra's chest. The mercenary held his left arm over his chest, shifting his weight into a stance. The sonic blast hit solid on his forearm, pushing it gently back into his chest, before he swept out the arm dispersing the blast.

"Dang!" Cyborg exclaimed as Guerra took his hit.

"I am not a veteran without reason _Niño_. It may seem brave to face me _mano e mano_, but it is foolishness in the end," Guerra cackled. He charged down on the lone Titan raising a massive fist, not bothering to conceal his intent. He was impressed the mechanical Titan stood his ground, only shifting for optimum use of his body. Two metal hands caught his leathery fist, halting its descent before it could strike.

"You may be tough as a tractor tire, but you ain't steel!" Cyborg cried. The fingertips on his right hand peeled back, letting welding torches intended as tools emerge and release their fire on Guerra. The mercenary hissed before his trademark grin returned; Cyborg cursed himself for overlooking it, as Guerra's free hand slammed into him with an openhanded blow that hit like a semi truck.

Lifted into the air he flew backward, his mechanical eye tracking the receding villain laughing up a storm. The bastard was having a blast! His fuming was interrupted as he hit the reinforced wall of a building denting it.

"Good trick _Niño_! Here is one of my old favorites!" the villain called. Cyborg lifted his head to find the street deserted, instinct telling him to look up. If not for the metal he would have paled. Guerra was up in the air several stories high from the arc of his leap, a pickup held in his hands.

"WIHAHAHAHA!" he laughed, twisting in the air he turned his momentum into a throw sending the metal down on Cyborg. Growling, Cyborg could only cross his arm over his head and take the blow.

The pavement cracked when Guerra impacted. He nonchalantly dusted himself off and watched as the truck exploded, leaving blazing metal raining down around him as an inferno spread over the sidewalk.

"Did he just die from that?" Guerra wondered, squinting into the flames. He noticed there was more rubble than there should have been, like the wall was knocked in. The sonic blast struck him in the back of his head from near point blank, the fire covering the sound of Cyborg's approach. The Titan followed up as the mercenary stumbled forward; locking his fists he leapt up, bringing an overhead smash down on Guerra's skull with all his weight behind it.

"Gahh!" Guerra cried as he fell to one knee. Cranking his arm up to 100% output Cyborg gave his best right hook to the masked meta's face. He heard the nose break as Guerra fell on his back.

"_Stay down,_" Cyborg thought as warnings and alerts filled his vision. Nothing too serious, but that was his punch at max and a blast to the head up close. If this guy could take his best shots…

"Of course!" he growled as Guerra rose on his elbows. Charging forward he slammed his feet onto the meta's stomach and aimed his cannon straight into his grinning face.

"WIHA!" Guerra yelled, his left hand closing over the cannon. For a few seconds the hand was silhouetted against the energy leaking through his fingers, before a crunch proclaimed the metal's collapse. Cyborg screamed as the cannon backfired, his forearm exploding before he could even think about detaching it. The young Titan skidded across the street, leaving pieces of his arm in his wake.

Grinning like a lottery winner Guerra rose, giving only passing attention to his bleeding palm.

"Well done _Niño_! You made me bleed, a red letter day indeed," Guerra called out as he loomed over Cyborg. His opponent only glared pistols at him as he tried to rise on one arm, grunting in frustration as Guerra put him on his back again, holding one of his legs aloft.

The mercenary lifted Cyborg clean off the ground and started to twirl in place as Cyborg called out insults. When the two were practically a blur Guerra released his grip and ground to a halt. Putting a hand to his brow the villain watched Cyborg soar through the sky.

"Going, going, GONE! Homerun!" Guerra roared at his own humor as Cyborg slammed through a parking garage's wall.

"He's fun, but four more still to go. Time to wrap it up," Guerra mused to himself. With a few well-placed leaps he closed the distance to the garage and entered through the hole Cyborg had made. Glancing around at the assemblage of cars fine and lesser he saw no signs of his quarry.

"Hmm, up or down? The high ground defense, or fleeing to the ground? Eh, down for now. If he gets away job is still good," Guerra thought to himself. With no pretense of cover he strutted down the lanes into the garage, glancing about for signs of Cyborg. Reaching the ground floor he frowned as he watched a panicking motorist break down the toll arm in his haste to escape. Had the Titan chosen to run? Or was he at the top waiting? Ricardo hated these kinds of moments.

"Hey, Ricky!" Cyborg called out. Guerra turned and saw the Titan step out from behind one of the columns a look of grim determination etched on his face.

"So you might be a man after all, facing defeat with dignity," Guerra grinned, an expression made quite sinster by the blood still running down over his mouth.

"No, I'm in it to win it," Cyborg answered flatly.

"In that case, SHOW ME!" Guerra boomed as he lunged forward. Cyborg dodged left as Guerra's fist demolished the pillar. Not giving the Titan any breathing room Ricardo pursued him, crunching cars with his blows and cleaving cement from steel with each punch. The quarters being cramped for Guerra's size and the obstructions of the cars let Cyborg keep his hairsbreadth lead as the masked mercenary literally tore the level apart.

As yet another column crumbled Guerra turned to see Cyborg standing his ground with a sneaky grin on his face.

"I win," Cyborg stated. Despite his expression there was no mirth in his words, or edge for that matter; it was delivered as if it were a self-evident fact.

"Hmmm? You think you can win without throwing a punch?" Guerra asked, his grin turning upside down.

"Don't need too, you threw plenty of them," Cyborg answered. As if on cue the garage was filled with the sound of creaking and crumbling, metal screaming as stone gave way. Eyes widening in recognition, Guerra's eyes danced over a portion of the destruction he had caused, not having to be an engineer to figure it out.

The look he shot to Cyborg said, "You didn't!"

That grin said, "Yeah, I did."

Cyborg, having placed himself in front of the entrance, turned and leapt clear of the walls as a section of the ceiling came down. Yelling out inarticulate protests Guerra caught the ceiling on his arms and shoulders as the weight forced him to his knees.

Wiping sweat off his brow Cyborg watched the dust swirl around enough to reveal the villain not buried but equally trapped as he held at least a quarter of the building's weight.

"Well done, _Senor_ Cyborg," Guerra gritted through his teeth.

"Say what?" Cyborg slipped out. This was not in the list of things vanquished villains say to you.

"You saw my power was greater, so you used it as your own weapon to win. While I hate to lose, your tactic is to be commended. You can take my mask, it is your right to have it till the day I win it back from you," Guerra growled, straining under the weight. Cyborg frowned at the man, the mix of humility and arrogance striking a cord he liked not one bit.

"The police can take that thing, this isn't a game. Now my friends need me," Cyborg answered stonily. As he turned to make haste to the chemical plant the signal had come from, he could still hear the laughter of Ricardo Guerra.

* * *

_Warehouse District:_

"Here is your payment," Midnight stated, tossing the brief case toward Guerra. He caught it in his unbandaged hand and popped it open with his thumb. His unmasked face frowned in confusion. The robots had liberated him from the police transport easily enough, and now he had returned to the meeting warehouse expecting to be chided for his failure and docked in pay.

"This is the full payment, the job was incomplete," Guerra stated. The mask was gone, taken by the police apparently; his face was what she would have expected square jaw and all. He did have lines around his mouth and eyes that made him look older than he was, and she noticed a white pencil mustache adorning his upper lip. Still even an idiot would connect the unmasked Guerra with the masked criminal.

"Your purpose was to fight so I could gather data on the Titans, it was simply different information than I expected. Of course if you only want half the pay…" Midnight commented.

"Heh, money is good. _Gracias_ for the liberation too. I seem to have a score to settle with _Senor_ Cyborg now. Till then I will not be heading south again, and I doubt you are done with the Titans," Guerra commented, a hint of slyness in his voice. Giving a two fingered salute he turned and left with his money tucked under one massive arm.

Midnight waited until he was gone to give her own tiny grin; she was right to hire him rather than that red-eyed hunk of cement.

_

* * *

_

Somewhere beneath Jump City:

Had the robot widened its eyes in surprise it would have been more satisfying to obliterate its head with her kick. Compensating for the resistance to her shadow-enclosed boot, Midnight came smoothly around in a stance, facing her remaining opponents. The four remaining robots were wielding machete length knives, which could and would cut through her with their strength behind them. That last robot was the final gun-wielding drone, but while that freed her of distance attacks, these were much deadlier in close quarters.

The first attacker practically threw itself at her… perhaps she needed to upgrade the combat A.I.? She hated that part; it would be easier just to make the machine itself more efficient, she thought. She stepped and leaned back from the would-be fatal blow to her neck, the wind in the knife's wake cooling the thin sweat on her unprotected throat. That momentum carried her back onto her hands as she twisted, her kick shattering the armor on its side.

Unable to follow through with two more robots bearing down she disengaged. Coming back to her feet there was no time to dodge the strike so she caught the blow on her gauntlet, following through with a shadow-coated punch to its faceplate. The robot stumbled backward, its faceplate cracked. Ample time to side step the next attacker. Not enough for her follow up kick to have the bite to do any major damage.

Behind her mask Raven's eye twitched at the tear in her cloak. That was from earlier when there had been ten robots out for her blood. It was unacceptable, just like her findings.

The whole point of the intermediaries was to gather data, to test the waters so that when she stepped out onto the battlefield she would be there not to fight but to conquer. The whole point was to know her enemy better than they did while she remained a mystery.

Another failed attempt to gut her ended with a robot collapsing, the area of its crotch destroyed as Midnight pulled her leg from its torso.

The HIVE experiment had shown Robin was the key. He was the rope and axe to their faces, binding their divergent personalities together and dominating them with his own personality to bring out their complimentary strengths. One had to only compare the performances with and without him.

Midnight leapt up into the vaulted ceilings, lost to even robotic eyes amidst the shadows and structure.

Yet the second test had been the opposite. Cyborg, who the first test had shown to be weak as he was trumped twice in his own field by a rookie, defeated Guerra. He single-handedly defeated a veteran metahuman mercenary whose strength and resilience surpassed his own. Meanwhile, the Titans led by Robin faced defeat at the hands of Plasmus until the timely arrival of Cyborg.

Weapon drawn, Midnight fell to the floor with a crack, crouching amidst the murderous machines. She rose to her feet as the machines fell apart, spilling oil and sparks around her.

There was no true progress in this strategy; what was she supposed to tell Slade when it was time to report? That her intelligence was contradictory and she had yet to even commit a single felony in Jump?

As the oil ignited she idly noticed a robot with one arm and most of his torso left – the persistent machine was going for its knife about a meter away. Walking up to it she chambered a kick that would send its head flying into the wall and, and, and… Fuck. She reached down to the struggling robot's neck and turned it off.

She was tired of this, waiting. Every since she came to accept Slade's teachings she had waited to return to the world above, though her ideas on what next had changed considerably to say the least. While she had free reign as Raven Wilson that was a disguise, it didn't really count. Years of training and preparation, and now she was so close to that first real taste of the world and it was refusing to actually arrive.

Raven wished she had brought Razor to Jump; her pet could always calm her down. Thoughts of said pet brought her thoughts back to the man she regarded as a father.

Slade had said that she wasn't him; it was a poor student that did not adapt their master's teachings to themselves to grow strong. Perhaps some impulsiveness was called for? It would be just a little havoc by her own hand, to gain a more accurate idea of the Titans' strengths and weaknesses.

Yeah, that, she would go with that as an excuse if asked. The alarms went off, signifying unscheduled chaos in the city. Frowning, Midnight pulled out her remote and activated a wall screen showing the cause. Quirking a hidden eyebrow she identified the assailants via database in seconds.

Her grin would remind some of a cat just when the mouse comes out of the hole. Sometimes fate could actually be helpful.

_

* * *

_

Eastway Bridge:

This duo seemed to be holding their own against the Titans. Thunder and Lightning, junior godlings from one of the Asian pantheons, very green successors to their father, the former storm god of their pantheon, with his power divided between them. Apparently they had snuck out to test themselves in the real world.

These two were not cleared for secular regions, she was certain of that with the confusing set of pacts and treaties between the Humans, League and the various Pantheons. She guessed the League was not involved despite the potential treaty violations because they were passing the buck to the Titans while they tried to figure out if this was a provocation by the pantheon or just a pair of mavericks pushing the boundaries.

Hmm, revise that to have a good time while ignoring the rules like a teenager, Midnight thought. Her link with the robot nearest the fight let her hear Thunder go on about it not being sporting to hit Beast Boy before he was ready to fight. And the chartreuse do-gooder actually seemed to be making some headway with Thunder via guilt trip! That was no good for her cause.

Time to meddle with a vengeance, she decided. Snapping her arm up the robots around her took the signal and sprang into action. The confusion among the Titans was amusing as they found themselves blindsided by a metallic horde.

Thunder and Lightning looked on in differing kinds of puzzlement as their opponents were practically swept away by the force of armored ninja. Thunder's being troubled with his mind trying to wrap around the changeling's words. Lightning was disappointed at this development – the fight had been getting good. Though he brightened as he realized these new fighters could also offer much fun in a three-way battle.

"Well hello, you two seem to be having… fun," someone called softly from the darkness. The brothers fell into stances, gathering power in their hands.

"Now, now, no need to be rough," the voice was soothing, but somehow for Thunder it called to mind broken glass wrapped in silk. The image fell from his mind's eye like a brick from a cliff as she stepped into sight.

No, stepping was the wrong word; she seemed to emerge from the darkness like a swimmer from an obsidian pool. Casting her black cloak over her shoulder she smiled as they took her in. She was armored from her feet to her neck, but it did not hide the shape of her; it hinted at so much while teasing with showing nothing. Her face was framed by hair that reminded them of grapes, and while much of it was covered they liked what they saw. More than all that they could practically smell power come off her and she held herself with the confidence and enticement befitting a goddess, to their young eyes at any rate. The two didn't even notice they let their power disperse, leaving their hands empty.

"Sorry for stepping into your little brawl, but I just had to have a little chat with you alone," she continued walking up to them a tiny grin gracing her gray features.

"It's no-" the brothers began in tandem. They turned to glare at each other; alone had to mean one of them and each was determined his brother was not that one.

"How cute, you match," she remarked. They whirled back to her – fight later, must prioritize.

"I am Thunder good lady, and this is my brother Lightning," the blue burly brother declared with a little more volume than necessary.

"Yes, I am the eldest of the storm brothers, I decided we should grace this city with our presence," Lightning jumped in, taking a step slightly in front of his brother. He could feel his brother's glare on the back of his head but it was no matter. This was clearly a woman of maturity and a warrior by her attire; she would be drawn to his seniority and his greater love of battle.

"Oh I know who you two are. The aspirant storm gods, gracing these unworthy mortals with your regal presences, and receiving meddlesome mortals in payment. I heard you were in town, and I just had to come say, hello," Midnight explained. She had stepped forward, and while she talked Midnight lightly traced Lightning's jaw before running the same finger over Thunder's broad armored chest.

"Hi," they said in tandem, apparently not noticing this time. Midnight knew a giggle now would fit the bill, but these muscle heads weren't worth stooping that low.

"I was thinking, since you're not doing anything right now, that the three of us could go someplace and have some real fun," she whispered. They weren't thrilled to be taking their brother along, but they weren't about to say no.

So it was that when the Titans had dispatched the last of their robotic assailants that Robin looked about with a scowl to find the pair of godlings gone.

_

* * *

_

Metzger Oil Refinery, Outskirts of Jump City:

Slade had been right, with a little charm she could make dumb boys dumber still. She watched from atop the concrete rise as Thunder and Lightning targeted the oil drums throughout Jump City's major refinery, both of them out to make the biggest boom, all to impress her. Had she been raised by anyone else she might have felt guilty about sending them on a collision course with a massive fireball.

They might well be able to survive an exploding oil refinery, but the resulting blaze would cause quite the chaos and destruction in Jump. Unless of course… ah, here came the Titans right on schedule.

It started out well enough, Titans running interference on the spreading fire, Jinx taking on Lightning. Hmm, again the talking with Thunder and Beast Boy, maybe he did think with his larger brain?

The attack wasn't really a surprise; after all she had quickly noted the sudden absence of a Titan in the battle as the brothers started to have at it. Beast Boy seemed to have turned Thunder against Lightning and the elder brother was having none of it. Perhaps Beast Boy was not so useless as he appeared either? Even so on current matters, she was impressed that her attacker got so close before she realized he was there.

Naturally he came from above, a sound tactic since humans don't instinctively expect danger from that quarter. But she was a bit beyond the tree line with her perch, enough distance for her to hear the branch rustle and hear him moving the air. Impressively his staff did not strike the concrete where she had stood; most would have put everything behind the blow and left themselves open. He was ready when she was, though her posture did not announce it as his did.

Standing atop the dividing wall they would have cut an interesting contrast. Robin clad in his bright primaries stark against the dancing shadows of the blaze, weapon drawn and ready to fight. While Midnight, charged in black, faded into the shadows seemingly calm amidst the chaos. So two masked youths meet and for the first time scrutinized one another. One scowling, the other wearing a tiny grin as if privy to a joke hidden from the world.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded stonily. The girl's expression did not change; she merely lifted her arm, beckoning him closer. Sensing there would be no talk he became a blur in motion. There was a risk inherent in attacking an unknown foe, but the best way he saw to get answers was to draw her into revealing her ability.

Midnight was having none of it, with near idle ease stepping away from the diagonal strike. So it went with almost choreographed smoothness, Robin's attacks evaded with the shortest step, the lightest skip, each blow an almost. Even his feints were nothing, as if sensing he was not following through she did not bother evading.

All through it her expression remained unchanged on her ashen lips. She let the wind from his feint wash over her armor, blinking as he followed through with a kick that struck her side. Raven did not expect him to shift style in midstrike! The blow had little power – well, little of his power anyway – so she only stumbled.

But the spell was broken as he had touched her. The metal rod grew out of his hands towards her stomach, a thrust meant to force her onto her back. There was a resounding ching as metal met metal, her left hand clasping the staff centimeters from her armored form. Robin could not forestall the instinct to pull back, though the staff didn't move in the slightest.

Her leg snapped up like mousetrap, her steel boot breaking the staff in two. Both stood for a moment holding their pieces, throwing them aside as useless in near tandem. Midnight returned her foot to the ground as Robin adjusted his weight.

"I am Midnight," she answered, her voice wine poured over a dagger. Their stare off was cut short as Jinx came to Thunder's aid, and in doing so the lightning bolt, rather than striking the younger brother, hit something very important. And things started to go boom. Robin reacted, turning his attention to the unfolding destruction; she wondered if his eyes widened in horror or slit in frustration behind his mask.

Either way, her sweeping kick knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling off the structure. He was too well trained to land badly, hitting in a crouch and on his feet again quick as a trick. But turning his gaze up he found himself alone in the night.

_

* * *

_

Titans Tower:

"So that's Midnight," Cyborg stated grimly. The Titans stood in front of their couch watching as Robin created a new file, having just uploaded the digital sketch created with Thunder and Lightning's help.

Thankfully the sight of the Titans scrambling to contain the blazes had given Thunder's words enough weight to bring Lightning to his senses. Though the duo had helped out by summoning an enchanted cloud burst to quell the fire, Robin still felt Lightning should have spent some time in a lock up for the trouble he caused.

It was out of his hands though. According to the JL the two had a sort of diplomatic immunity, and since there was no loss of life the League preferred to let it pass to show goodwill towards the duo's home pantheon. At least some treasure would be handed over to the city to cover damages. While not content, he admitted they had been helpful in providing him with his first lead on Midnight.

"Dude, I was expecting something more on the lines of some hulking scary guy," Beast Boy admitted. Jinx bopped him on the head for what she saw as some implied sexism.

"So the creepy mastermind is a teenager. I guess that make sense as far as we're concerned," Jinx added with a sarcastic sigh.

"She seems to have the fashion sense of nygaxvort as you would say," Starfire commented. They were all uncertain what she meant, but didn't care enough to find out.

"Guerra told Cyborg he was working for someone. Midnight deliberately moved Thunder and Lightning to where they could do the most damage, and she sent the HIVE after us. Whoever she is, she is planning something, and we're in her way," Robin stated as he typed in Midnight's name.

The other Titans said their goodnights, though it was actually morning. The day saved they felt it time for some well earned rest before the next crisis erupted. Robin was the exception, leaning against the panel staring at the image.

She had been there right in front of him, and he still had no real idea of what she could do. All he had was a mask and a name.

No, he also knew she was extremely dangerous; something about her made him warier than he had been since he left Gotham and its horrors behind. This one was different, his instincts whispered in the dark place his innocence had once dwelled.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded under his breath, staring intently into the shadow of a cowl.

_

* * *

_

Wilson Penthouse:

It had been a most memorable lesson; Slade had called her over from her drills and ordered her to take a seat. She had sat down on the padded floor already accustomed to doing so in the way it was easiest to spring from. She had been young, still only learning the full meaning of apprenticeship to the man that she feared and loved like a father.

"Raven, today's lesson is a riddle.

"Four men are put into a chamber, two will die and two will leave alive. The trapped are a warrior, the king, a priest, and the wealthiest man in the land. The warrior lives no matter what, but he gets to choose who loves and who dies.

"The king said, you must not kill me for I am your lawful ruler.

"The priest said, you must not kill me for I am a servant of God.

"The wealthy man said, spare me and I will reward you with great riches.

"Which man does the warrior spare?" Slade asked. Raven smiled, usually the questions were hard but this was easy. Maybe she was getting smarter she had thought.

"The rich man lives, he is the only one who offers the warrior a credible reason to spare his life," Raven answered eagerly. The chill in the room let her know something had gone wrong. Slade's kick was abrupt with no real shift in stance to give it more power; it still knocked on her back painfully.

He loomed over her as she rose above the pain, giving her power no fuel to come forth with.

"There is no true answer to that riddle, it depends on the warrior's character. If he is pragmatic or self-serving yes the rich man lives. But if he is a believer in the law, or loyal to the state, the king lives. Perhaps he is pious or superstitious and as such dares not go against a priest.

"Those three each have power and each believe theirs to be the true and encompassing power: laws, faith, money. But the truth is in the question itself – martial power surpasses all three. What is law without police or armies to enforce it? What religion survives without men willing to defend it or spread it by force of arms? Can any amount of gold save you from men who have the martial power and desire to simply take it from you?

"Those three ideals are merely ways to apply power, the essence of power is the ability to force your will on others. Whatever method you employ, so long as you remember that truth you will be ahead of your enemies," he had told her so long ago.

Now Raven lifted her head from the steaming water of the tub, the candlelight playing over her natural coloring as he leaned against the marble rim. For the first time since arriving in Jump she felt the sense of satisfaction that to her warranted indulgence such as this.

The encounter had been brief, but thrilling. To face a player in this bizarre and convoluted conflict and emerge absolutely triumphant – or perhaps it was merely the knowledge she was now truly participating?

Time enough for that later, for now Raven allowed herself to relax and decided she would be facing the Titans personally again. And since she now had a plan forming it would be sooner rather than later.

It wasn't how her father would have done it, but she wasn't him. This was more than a project, however grand; it was her debut that would be a defining moment in her life. So long as she succeeded she would have his approval, and that was what mattered most.

She gave an easy smile, looking forward to the encounter.

**

* * *

**

1). _A fun little cameo from a comic I liked. He still has very little luck._

**Author's Note: Oi, I really should no better than promising to deliver in a timely fashion; more often than not it seems like sending a telegram to Murphy. **

**Well now the Titans have made first contact with Midnight, and she seems to have left quite the impression. With this experience Midnight is going to be increasingly following her own playbook so you can expect more divergence. For example Cinderblock will not be appearing in this production. Which reminds me, props to whoever connects Guerra's laugh to the character that inspired him. **

**I plan on pulling back some with the next chapter to the wider world and a reappearance of Dr. Fate with his eschatological inquiries. Since it may not advance the plot much that means I will likely have it out in a timely fashion. Because for things to go smoothly when it would actually move the story along would be too much.**

**Well enough whining, please review.**


	7. What a World What a World

Disclaimer: I still don't own Teen Titans, though I did get some new manga from my favorite series. Among other things if I owned Teen Titans I would have ended on a different note than the finale they used. I have seen worse, but still; I do give props for the less orthodox wrap up though.

_Betaed by the ever dependable Zim'smostloyalservant._

**

* * *

**

**What a World What A World**

_Somewhere in New Hampshire:_

It would never pass for a typical church, a fact that pleased both those that belonged to typical Churches and those who assembled in this structure. A breaking from tradition was part and portion of their goal, though rather than chaos it was instead a new order and tradition they sought with such vigor.

The building was round, though the true structure was only roughly three quarters of the circle; the remainder was a courtyard centered about a glorious fountain hemmed in by the outer wall. Windows dominated the structure, letting the light of the sun pour in through stained glass windows telling the triumphant saga of their god like the world's most ornate comic book. His crest was engraved with a simple elegance over the main entrance, which led immediately into a sanctuary that stretched the length of the building to where a pulpit stood elevated against the backdrop of the Plexiglas wall looking out on the courtyard. The statue that served as the fountain would be mistaken for Atlas in another age – it depicted the object of the their veneration holding the world aloft, though unlike bound Atlas his chiseled face looked upon those assembled with an easy friendly smile.

The Church of Krypton could be found lovely or discomforting depending on who you are.

By comparison, the congregation might be a let down to the visitor. Ordinary people to look at them; some dressed just a little better than normal, others wearing what would easily be labeled Sunday best. There was the odd attendant who came in tights of some variety, but they were endured by the regulars with an air of long suffering patience. They were confident if words of reprimand were needed the priest would see to it. He was also rather unassuming; with balding salt-and-pepper hair he looked like how a young grandpa might be imagined. His robes were blue and held the crest, but beyond that he was unremarkable as he took his place looking over those assembled.

"The light be upon you all," he greeted the worshippers, his hands raised, microphone carrying his voice to the furthest recesses.

"The light grant him strength," he was answered by the mass.

"It is a glorious day we come together! I see so many familiar faces, and so many new ones as well.

"As you may know, today is a special day, today we announce a new deacon to our temple. But in light of the many new faces here, before we announce him let us share with those guests who have braved the tension to witness our worship.

"We are not a cult, a collection of rejects and madmen as so many portray us. Rather we are those who see the writing on the walls and chose to take those words to heart.

"Where others throw themselves on the words of long dead prophets, invest their hope in vague prophecy, and kneel before silent distant deities, we embrace the miracle in our midst.

"Kal El, the last son of Krypton, Superman, savior of our world many times over. He is not a hope on the horizon, or a legend; he watches over us from the Watchtower above, he can be glimpsed in the sky, and he descends from the heights to punish the wicked and defend the righteous! In what way, I ask of you, is this great being who does so much and demands nothing in return, beneath reverence?

"My children, speak and be heard, on how the Last Son has _touched_ your lives!" the priest called out jubilantly.

Several people stood and announced their close encounters of the cape kind:

"He caught the plane I was on when it was crashing."

"Stopped aliens from burning down my office while I was in it."

The process carried on for a few minutes when a gray-haired gentleman with a Superman lapel pin stood to have his words and was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. The left window flanking the entrance was shattered, the depiction of the man of steel holding a raven-haired woman of flesh ruined. The object landed in the second to back row of pews; frowning an old woman leaned forward, already reaching for the offended object.

When it exploded she was hurled back, already dead. The grenade claimed six other lives in the blast – and more would die in the hour. The screams drowned out the shattering of the window to the right, showing Krypton splitting in twain while a red sun loomed ominously in the background; with the grenade's passage Krypton was destroyed once more. The priest saw the shattering through the din and cried out a warning. But his voice was lost as death burst forth again.

The priest was a middle-aged man, and despite his profession pursued with enthusiasm, he would by most be described as a man of moderation who refrained from extreme emotion for the trouble it brings. Now his face contorted and reddened in a blinding rage that strangled any fear that dared draw near his heart.

The entrance was kicked open, six men rushing in wearing green windbreakers and ugly green ski masks. Somehow you could tell none of them were comely beneath the cloth. The one with the least unflattering posture lifted his rifle and fired a shot into the ceiling.

"Nobody move, we don't need to kill any more today, but try anything funny and the world won't miss a few more race traitors. Those pigs in Washington may think it's right for you traitors to gather like decent folk and kowtow to a goddamn alien, but if you think real Americans will sit by and-" the lead mask was interrupted when the preacher emerged from behind his pulpit holding a pistol at ready.

The leader dived behind a pew, while the priest fired rapidly without any trained skill. One went down as two bullets slammed into his chest, and the others took cover until the pistol clicked empty, the enraged priest still pulling the trigger. The leader popped back up and held down the trigger set on auto; the priest's head exploded in a hail of lead, the bullets denting the Plexiglas behind him.

"Fuck! Louis is dead, you said they wouldn't be armed!" one of the thugs called out as the leader marched down the aisle towards the battered pulpit.

"I said they probably wouldn't be. Now shut up and cover these bastards, they so much as breathe funny, perforate 'em," the leader ordered. His remaining men tried to do just that, glancing over the surviving worshippers, fingers pressing against triggers, though truth be told both sides were too rattled to do anything without further coaxing. The leader reached the pulpit and reached out to finger the blue banner displaying Superman's crest, and after a moment's thought released it. Unzipping a pocket in his windbreaker he pulled out a spray can and shook it.

"I got your message of hope, right here," he growled as he sprayed two letters over the crest.

A sound of thunder filled the temple once more; the leader took one step back, then fell, his covered face obliterated by the blast, dead as he took his last step. The deacon-to-be stood in the side door, trembling as he held the smoking shotgun. He fell to his knees and vomited as he saw both the punk and the priest lying dead, divided by the pulpit.

The surviving attackers exchanged heated words and ran, leaving their dead. There was no more killing to be done, but a message had indeed been sent, perhaps two.

Shell-shocked people looked to the pulpit now vacant of its keeper. Its banner was sullied, the letters LL slashed across it in green as a man's final act. To the survivors who now rose from behind the pews the statue of Superman while still smiling seemed somehow weary now as he looked down on the ruined sanctuary.

_

* * *

_

Washington D. C

.:

"The simplest explanation for the problem is the Freakshow. While many metahuman communities have sprung up over the last ten years, this area of Chicago is easily the largest in population and has gained notoriety for producing meta-criminals while attracting still more Metas and artificial beings as public pressure against metas continues to rise.

"Regardless of the truth, the Freakshow and its residents have become the choice target for laying Chicago's problems on. Everything from crime to the recession is directed at the residents. It has reached the point where even individuals with blatant anti-metahuman platforms have managed to gain entrance to the city government. Moderates remain in control, but with the ongoing polarization a failure to side against the Feaskshow may soon be costing officials their offices.

"Chicago was brought to a boil nearly a year ago with the Parker-DeVau Incident. Anna Parker, daughter of former Congressman Parker, attacked and killed Charles DeVeau. The underage metahuman, depending on your side of the divide, was either unjustly convicted in spite of extenuating circumstances or allowed to escape true justice due to the system coddling freaks.

"While it's true she wasn't a resident of the Freakshow – having lived her twelve years up till then a virtual gilded captive in her family home to hide her existence from the world – that community's support for her during the trial brought out passions on all sides.

"Despite our fears the tension remained just that and cooler heads prevailed, preventing any large scale violence.

"However, now just weeks after the anniversary of that tragic accidental homicide, we find ourselves in an even more critical situation.

"It began one week ago when Warren Petit, a metahuman with what we now know to be pyrokinetic capabilities, self-destructed in his classroom, killing seven students and wounding several others, including the teacher. Investigation shows he was a victim of bullying, and it was a premeditated murder-suicide. No one even knew he was a Meta – he was bullied due to being overweight.

"But again it brought up anger and fear against the metahuman community, people seriously calling for segregating the city, even African-American and other minority citizens claiming that their children would never be safe in schools that allowed living weapons past the doors. The Human Defense League is actually holding rallies; they marched through the Freakshow in what many are calling the Spirit of '33.

"And yesterday things got a whole lot worse. Karl Rosckinzy, a Presbyterian Pastor in the Freakshow, metahuman, and formerly known as the villain Ironhide, was murdered in his home. Rosckinzy was a well-respected community leader in the Freakshow, an example of a villain who was able to reform and escape a destructive lifestyle. He was in charge of a youth outreach program dedicated to preventing young metahumans from turning to crime.

"Considering his highly durable nature we do not think HDL killed him; the sonic grenade that caused his death seems more like the work of a villain organization trying to shut down his operation. Regardless, HDL slogans were spray painted in his home and the Freakshow is blaming them and its residents are demanding arrests. In the midst of the powder keg HDL is playing with matches and our people are fresh out of water," the General recapped for those present. The atmosphere in the Oval Office was tense with the presence of power and the looming crisis that power would be directed towards. The cheery sunlight pouring in behind the President seemed quite inappropriate.

"Thank you for the recap General Eiling, now the question is, what can we do to save Chicago from ripping itself apart?" The Chief Executive demanded. He looked over the two others that would influence the federal government's response to the gathering storm.

General Wade Eiling, Director of Operation Cadmus since the death of founder Amanda Waller. He was the image of an old soldier, the remainder of the hair that ringed his head was white to match his mustache, and his face was deeply lined. Yet his eyes were hard as steel and seemed to constantly be measuring everything, and find it wanting. A hardliner, true, but sadly he was the only man for the job. While the President had not always seen eye-to-eye with the late Waller, he did miss her less radical approach to Cadmus.

The next man was little better… assuming it _was_ a man. Cadmus was basically a public secret these days; most people knew it existed but its exact extent and activities were a mystery. Project Prometheus, by contrast, was truly classified, and the identity of Director X was a secret even to the chief executive. True to their namesake, they strived to steal fire from the gods. Or, more accurately, use science and technology to place humans on an even footing with the metahuman menaces. A stylized X drifted across the computer screen beneath the web cam, showing the enigmatic genius was present in a sense.

"To be frank, Mr. President, defusing the situation may not be the solution," General Eiling volunteered. The soldier didn't waver under the glare he received that demanded an explanation.

"If it's not a has been villain-turned-preacher murdered this year, it will be something else next year. Too many people are spoiling for a scrap and there is nothing we can do to make the two sides not want to kill each other. But the longer we wait the more pressure will build and the more prepared the troublemakers will be. So we let Chicago explode now while the situation can still be handled.

"We position ourselves to intervene so that when the balloon goes up we can put out the fire before too much goes wrong. Chaos will grip the city and we will be in a position of strength to influence the new situation and make it less volatile," Eiling stated.

"X, what do you have?" The President inquired, turning his attention to the letter floating around the computer screen.

"I agree with the General; it is best to let events take their natural course and use the ensuing chaos to reestablish control. However, there is a key flaw to his plan of action.

"If the US government intervenes it will be required to use excessive force to restore order, and we will be blamed for every life lost and piece of property damaged. It will be seen as validation that we are strongmen with an agenda, as opposed to the sainted Justice League in the eyes of our detractors. It will also be seen as an act of support for either the metahuman community or the HDL, damaging the administration's attempts to be seen as neutral in this.

"The last thing we need is more Patriots in Congress. What we must do is observe and allow the Justice League to intervene in Chicago. We have files full of reasons we would not be able to, and no one that matters will care when the scenario plays out.

"Calm yourself General, we will merely give Superman the rope to hang himself with. The League will also have to be heavy-handed and we will place the blame on them for the disaster._ They_ will lose credibility with the metahuman community and we will avoid being further stigmatized by the anti-meta elements of the populace. And in the end the League will return to the sky and we will be free to pick up the pieces to do with as we please," Director X outlined in digital monotone.

Yet another expert told him that he needed to let a city burn for the good of the nation, the President thought. He wasn't sure what upset him more, that it was something like this the two of them finally agreed on, or knowing he _would_ approve one of these plans. He actually found himself missing Waller.

The President rubbed his brow; how had it come to this? Photos were laid out across the desk, two showing Ironhide in his gaudy old-fashioned villain regalia, the other him as an old man in civilian clothes. Others showed the devastated classroom, a picture of a blonde spider-like teenage girl in handcuffs and a muzzle, HDL rallies burning superheroes in effigy, and the graffiti left in Ironhide's home: "ONE NATION, ONE RACE!", "FREAKS OUT", "TALLY UP", "HUMAN RIGHTS" and repeatedly in green letters, "LUTHOR LIVES!"

_

* * *

_

Titans Tower:

Cyborg looked at the engine in disbelief. The reason he was having trouble adjusting the component was that he had installed it backwards. This was not a mistake he would make – it was practically written. Putting down his tools he lifted his wrist to his face as a plate slid back to reveal a digital clock screen.

"That explains it, time for Cy to take care of himself. Don't go away baby, Poppa will be back to set you right before you know it," Cyborg patted the mechanism affectionately before standing upright, something clanking in him.

Leaving his workshop, Cyborg's plan was raiding the fridge for what looked good, then a wash and recharge. Wondering if the hoagie was still unclaimed he failed to notice Jinx walking down the hallway reading a book with runes scrawled across the cover. The two bumped into each other, alerting each to the other's presence.

"Sorry Jinx," Cyborg mumbled, his mind already turning back to food. Jinx, however, looking at the grease stain on her top and pants from the run in, looked after the filthy Cyborg in disgust.

"What are you doing, you're tracking grease everywhere," Jinx told him in a huff. Cyborg turned and realized he was leaving a half-foot print of black stuff in his wake.

"That's not grease, it's oil," he corrected her in all seriousness.

"That's not important," Jinx maintained, tucking her book away to cross her arms.

"Look, I'll clean it up later. I just want some R&R before finishing up my project, and then this mess gets wiped off the Earth. Cool?" Cyborg asked, getting a bit annoyed.

"Project? Don't you have enough tech already?" Jinx sighed.

"Hey, tech's like barbecue, there's always room for a bit more," Cyborg retorted with a tired smile.

"Well, I guess you have to go with quantity since it's the only option," Jinx rolled her eye behind her glasses.

"Yeah… wait, what was that?" Cyborg snapped to full alertness.

"What kind of project?" Jinx asked in answer.

"No before that," Cyborg demanded.

"You're tracking grease – I mean oil?" Jinx ventured.

"That crack about quantity and quality. Are you dissing my tech? !" Cyborg demanded.

"Oh, that. Well, it's great as far as tech's concerned. But when it comes against magic, the best you can do is bring more and hope it trumps the magic by that," Jinx stated.

"Last I checked I outrank you with all this inferior tech," Cyborg pointed out.

"That's because Robin likes you better than me. I always beat you in spars because my magic trumps your toys," Jinx answered with a sigh of mock long suffering. The word "toy" brought a twitch to his organic eye.

"Toys? ! They were good enough to beat Guerra mano a mano while Plasmus had you running for your life!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"I'm not saying it's useless, but you go through all this trouble to make gizmos to do what a mage can do with just a word and a gesture. What's more, your toys are bound by the laws of science, magic is about imposing your will on the world in opposition to its natural flow," Jinx stated narrowing her concealed eye. She emphasized the word "flow", twirling on one foot with a ballerina's grace, her hands aglow, gathering violet energy in her palms.

"Yeah, and it all goes fizzle with a little garlic, silver or whatever gets the mojo you're using. Tech works, it doesn't need rituals or mystic pacts, you put in the work and you get the prize for nothing more than the time and effort it took to make it. Did you have to trade your eye or something for the sparkly stuff?" Cyborg asked, fuming. Jinx did not connect the reason for his anger went beyond a master crafter's pride in his trade; as for Cyborg, the insult hit straight home, enough that he reciprocated in kind. Jinx scowled at the last remark, and let loose the magic in her hands. Cyborg came on guard but relaxed into puzzlement when the magic dispersed into the air.

Cyborg glanced up as he heard creaking before the roof tiles overhead came down on him. Tossing the tiles aside he saw Jinx disappearing down the hall, her face already back in the book.

"I am NOT cleaning this up!" he called after the retreating witch.

_

* * *

_

Three Days Later:

"So Cyborg, you wanted to show us something?" Robin asked. The Titans had gathered at the second-in-command's request in the garage that doubled as Cyborg's workshop. A corner of the garage had been curtained off, no doubt concealing the secret project Cyborg has been amercing himself in.

The lights shut off, leaving the garage in darkness, until a sole spotlight illuminated Cyborg – now dressed in a light gray suit – before the curtain, holding a microphone.

"Ladies, gentlemen… and Jinx. Since man first dreamed as he looked up to the stars, he has yearned for the day in which that most pure and basic of all dreams would be realized. It is my honor to tell you today is that day," Cyborg boomed with solemnity.

"You found purple wanbdergoot? !" Starfire joyfully exclaimed, popping up into the air. All was silent and Starfire blushed, calming down and returning to the floor.

"Anyway, today the dream is real. I give you the T-Car!" Cyborg grandly boomed. He threw the curtain aside revealing a Volvo with the same blue tech sections as himself.(1)

"Sweet!" Beast Boy yelled.

"Ah yes, the T-Car, equipped with the latest and best the automotive industry has to offer and some things the industry hasn't thought of yet.

"But don't think it's just a sweet ride!

"The T-Car comes battle ready with weaponry beyond what can be carried on one's person, and storage units for retooling in the field.

"And, inspired by recent events, with the push of a button the trunk unfolds into either a cybernetic repair station or portable medical unit for fast treatment on site!

"And did I forget to mention the sound system?" Cyborg asked. The car transformed to demonstrate each point; the last one heralded absurdly large speakers popping out of the T-Car and letting loose a wave of base. When it retracted, Cyborg looked to his teammates for affirmation and noticed their hair was quite messed up as they massaged their ears.

"Well, what y'all say?" Cyborg asked, ripping off the suit.

"Best... thing... EVER!" Beast Boy shouted with starry eyes.

"Your land vehicle is definitely low temperature!" Starfire cheered in the air again. While she did not follow her friend's logic, she was happy that he was so happy. Robin smiled and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but was far more restrained in his enthusiasm.

"Impressive, this could really improve our effectiveness in the field. How is it for rough terrain?" Robin asked. Cyborg made to answer, but whirled on hearing a car door open. Jinx had opened the driver door and was leaning inside looking around.

"Jinx, can I help you with something?" Cyborg asked with a grin, coming up behind her.

"No, just checking out our new ride," Jinx answered casually. She squeaked, much to her shame, when Cyborg reached in, grabbed her shoulder and set her aside, facing away from the car.

"Our ride? Oh no, no, no. This is my ride, built by me, on my time with parts and tools paid for on my dime. And surely a lowly tech-propelled means of transportation is below a witch of your refined stature," Cyborg remarked, affecting a bad British accent for the last part.

"Uh, Cyborg?" Robin spoke up before Cyborg kept going.

"Besides, you were right that you are a walking tech hazard, so I have decided never shall the twain meet. In other words…" Cyborg remarked, leaving the last sentence hanging. Going to be the back of the T-Car, Cyborg turned himself with his arm extended into a stance and followed through with a dramatic motion, slapping the bumper with a resounding chime. He withdrew his hand to reveal he had placed a round bumper sticker with Jinx's face crossed out on it. Jinx's eyebrow twitched at the sight.

"You can't be serious," Jinx gritted out.

"You're some kind of witch, go get a broom and fly," Cyborg grinned down at her. Her retort was cut off when the alarm went off, proclaiming trouble in the city. Cyborg and Beast Boy piled into the T-Car while Robin got onto his bike and tore out of the garage.

"Star, you coming?" Cyborg called, rolling down his window.

"Thank you, but I think I must be giving Jinx the lift," Starfire answered cheerily. She floated over to Jinx and made as if to lift her from under the shoulder before the witch shoved a hand up and back, leaving the palm just short of Starfire's face.

"Get in the car, you are not carrying me," Jinx growled, causing Starfire to wilt.

_Jump City, ARES Warehouse D:_

Raven looked it over with a predator's eye, searching for the slightest weakness or flaw that could be exploited. While perfection was impossible it was something to stride for, and this inherited belief showed in her now completed side project. 14 months ago, Slade had allowed her to pursue a project solely of her choice. It was a sign of her preparing for journeyman status and that he no longer believed her to require total time monopolized by training to continue to advance.

This technology was a personal triumph for her. After all, hailing from a magic realm and seeming to possess fey blood for her powers, science was something she lacked aptitude at. "Lacked," past tense, being the key word. Her discomfort and awe at even the rudimentary tech of this world was unacceptable; so she had been set to not only understand but to gain a degree of mastery.

She doubted this project, which she saw as a culmination of that progress, is what Slade had in mind. But her father's lack of objection she interpreted as approval, of some degree.

Yes, she decided, it was ready for a field test. And fortunately, she had already located a proper endeavor in which to find out what her creation could do. It promised to be an eventful night.

_Jump City:_

The Titans watched as the Special Response unit took possession of Overload's AI circuit; it really was quite pathetic without the energy body. The mood was fairly cheery with the heroes; the battle had been challenging but not rally threatening, Jinx had gotten him on the ropes with her hex blasts and after that it had just been keeping the villain from escaping till they found how to take him down.

"Well you know what goes well with winning? Milkshakes, and the T-Car just so happens-" Cyborg exclaimed, walking off only to stop stock still midsentence. The other Titans whirled, alert for some other threat, only to see… nothing. They were confused and Beast Boy was the first to realize that was exactly the problem.

"Dude, where's your car?" Beast Boy asked the slack-jawed Cyborg. Jinx covered her mouth as Cyborg ran around shouting out curses while the other Titans tried to calm him down. All those anti-theft devices and he forgot to lock it, how unlucky.

_

* * *

_

Elsewhere in Jump City, Later:

"Oh man, this is sweet!" The tall punk shouted as they tore across the track. His grin was almost touching his eyes and his little buddy wasn't far behind. They had swiped some sweet rides in their time, but this took the cake. No scatech that, it took the whole freaking buffet!

The Underground Rally was Jump City's roughest, and, in many peoples' opinion, best place for racing. Very off the books it was known to attract companies for unauthorized testing, villains testing their vehicles, and enthusiasts whose funny cars would be booted to the curve by any decent track admin. And of course there was the gambling and assorted vices; in short, for the likes of these two it was a little slice of Heaven.

"I can't believe a hero left his car unlocked," the small punk announced, for like the fifth time. Usually his greasy haired partner would be on him for his bad habit but right now he was just feeling the burn of the road.

"Man, those losers can't even touch our wheels," he boasted, overlooking the fact that aforesaid wheels were hardly his. Murphy heard and answered his challenge, apparently. A black car slipped around the pack and steadily closed the distance. It was a low-rider, sleek but sharp on the angles, and all the glass was pure black, matching the paint job – it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. The sole color was on the hood, a silhouette traced in burning red of a bird in flight shown from above.

"Well, looks like someone has yet to learn their lesson," Tall Punk grinned as the challenger approached. Swerving to block the black car's path, he pressed one of the few buttons he had figured out and let loose a slick. To little effect, as almost as soon as the slick hit the road the opposing driver flipped their own switch, and blades slid from the tires and dug into the ground, slowing progress but keeping course true before they were retracted.

It was all the edge that was needed, Tall Punk having slowed down to better watch the wipe out only to find himself neck and neck. Flooring the pedal despite spirited resistance, the black car pulled ahead as the g's began to press them back. In a checkered flash the race was over to thunderous applause, the audience watching the playback, which proclaimed Blackbird the winner.

The black car slowed and came to a sedate stop. The T-Car span three times as its inexperienced driver tried to stop, slowing down enough that it was only dented when the passenger side slammed into the dividing wall.

The black racer silently glided to a tasteful distance parallel to the T-Car as the driver's door of that car swung open. As if on cue, Tall Punk flung open the driver's side door and stumbled out, his shades having slide down his nose, revealing a pair of beady eyes. The punk stumbled and steadied himself with his back against the T-Car as his buddy shamelessly crawled out via the same door and plopped on the track.

Tall Punk saw his opponent had pulled up and scowled, pushing his shades back into place with his free hand. Glancing down to his bud he resisted the urge to kick him; that was so close he would have probably won without the deadweight, he thought. Seeing the door of the black car swing up and open he braced himself for the gloating of the bastard that had robbed him of a sure win. And he would have made so much money on his cut of the take too!

Thoughts of money quieted as the opposing driver climbed out, without any of the problems the two punks had been having if her fluid movements were any indication. And it was definitely she – the dark gray jumpsuit, while too loose to be risqué, teased and taunted at her figure in a way many would find more alluring than a more blatant display. When she took off her helmet it was worse. Not exactly conventional beauty, moon pale with lips untouched by lipstick and long hair tucked into a bun behind her head. With her features it was mostly a sum rather than any one thing, though her eyes were dark and twinkled with mischief.

At some point Punk Number 2 pulled himself up and dusted himself off while Tall Punk assumed a more cool pose leaning against the car he had crashed. This was no longer defeat, they decided as the babe walked over to them. This was now unexpected opportunity!

"Hey, you handle a wheel pretty well," Tall Punk told Raven as she walked up to them.

"Yeah sweet ride too, black is always classy," Punk Number 2 added. His friend frowned at his shorter comrade – didn't he realize a babe like this was way out of his league? Though in truth that statement extended to Tall Punk as well. Both were oblivious to the fact that the object of their desire was looking over the car with an appraising eye and that she frowned when her attention fell on the pair. Closing her eyes, she gave her best fake smile as she finally spoke.

"This is a really awesome car!" she exclaimed with a bubbly tone that no man thinking with his brain, and most others, would believe to be sincere. Sadly these two fell outside those lofty expectations.

"Oh yeah, the T-Car is awesome, that little slick was nothing compared to the real big guns. Maybe later you'd like to see what I've got, under the hood?" Tall Punk answered suggestively, hitting his buddy on the head when he almost spoke up. Raven's expression didn't change.

"It really is an awesome car. Since you aren't rich enough to afford something like this or smart enough to make it you must have stolen it," she answered in that same sweet voice. After a moment's reflexive nodding, they heard what she said and stopped before springing forward; even a dumb rat knows to bare its teeth when cornered.

"Hey, those are some serious accusations to be tossing around girly!" Tall Punk loomed over her.

"Yeah, and you have those blades hidden in the wheels? How legal is your ride?" Punk Number 2 demanded, pointing an accusing finger at her chest. Raven opened her eyes and while she kept smiling her expression was far more discomforting. They now realized the mischief in her eyes may mean the joke was on them.

"Donald," she spoke mildly. The punks blinked in confusion at the word as a shadow fell over them. A large pair of white-gloved hands seized their heads and in one smooth motion knocked their skulls together. As the punks collapsed unconscious, Raven gave a sincere smile to Donald before turning her attention back to the car.

* * *

Cyborg was so angry he would bet steam would come off him if he were doused with ice water. The crowd parted before him; a ticked of Titan was not something to cross under the best of circumstances, much less in a semi-legal venue such as this. And he was without a doubt ticked off, grumbling inarticulately but clearly angrily. His right forearm was held out in front of him, a plate having slid back to display a screen that showed him the location of the T-Car. His mood darkened as he got closer, taking no real notice of his surroundings as he looked up from the screen.

"Gonna be payback, and a beat down, gonna be a paydown," Cyborg grumbled as the screen declared his car to be only meters away. Looking up again the anger lines on his face dissolved at the sight of his baby in one piece right before him. Then a scowl darkened his mood as he saw the hood was not only popped but someone was messing around with his engine, his ass the only thing in sight as he leaned into the T-Car. Cyborg had been having a rough night, because normally he would never mistake that posterior ever belonging to a guy, despite loose fit.

"Get your filthy paws off my baby, you damned dirty-!" Cyborg shouted, stomping up to the T-Car and making to yank the thief out from the engine. But he was interrupted in his paraphrasing when a pair of powerful arms wrapped around his chest, arresting his progress. The Titan had a moment to be confused before he was flying back and his opponent slammed the top of his head into the pavement. Cyborg's attacker was already on his feet when Cyborg picked himself up, brushing of fragments of cement.

The man was tanned, bald, and on par with Cyborg in size and bulk. All human though, suited up too, older from the crow's feet peeking out around his sunglasses.

"I don't know who you are, but say hello to misplaced aggression," Cyborg growled, but smiled to have a problem he could tackle head on now. The other guy seemed unfazed; he reached into his sport jacket and pulled out a metal cylinder, which he flicked into extending into what looked like a fancy cattle prod.

"That's quite enough Donald!" a firm and light voice called out. Both men looked to the side, and saw a teenage girl with dark hair and pale skin looking irritated as she stood before the T-Car. The suited muscle, Donald apparently, stepped back and shortened his prod with another flick, but did not replace it in his coat. Cyborg was getting confused; he came here expecting to kick some punks' asses, what was going on exactly?

"I'm sorry about Donald, he gets paid to keep me safe and takes things a bit too far. Father just doesn't get that I don't need a babysitter," Raven told the Titan, walking up to him.

"Uh, well this isn't exactly the best neighborhood. What are you doing with my car?" Cyborg asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, I raced against those two punks there. I realized they must have stolen this car and had Donald beat them up. I never thought it belonged to a hero though," Raven answered, pointing to where the two banged up punks were tied up.

"I wanted to do that… oh, I'm Cyborg by the way. Thanks for rescuing my baby," Cyborg thanked.

"I'm Raven, Raven Wilson, and did you say baby? Well, I guess there is a family resemblance," Raven smirked, glancing back to the T-Car. Cyborg flushed at that play on words. He needed to change the subject or lose his cool rep. Glancing around he saw another car parked in spitting distance.

"So, is that your racer?" Cyborg asked a little too hastily.

"That's my Blackbird," Raven agreed, beaming.

"Your name's Raven, and you call your car the Blackbird," Cyborg deadpanned. At some point he had moved over to the black car and shook his head at the avian design; a picture of her namesake, so predictable.

"Oh, and what do you call your ride?" Raven asked tapping the blue tech lines.

"It's the T-Car," Cyborg answered reflexively. He regretted it as Raven cocked an eyebrow and gave him a look that said, "oh really?"

"Well, name aside, it's a nice car, almost as good as mine," Raven stated, turning away. He couldn't see the slight smile as she mentally counted down to his objection.

"Say what? ! Your ride may be pretty, but the T-Car is the most badass set of wheels to ever touch rubber to road," Cyborg declared after her. Raven turned so he could see her face in profile, and half a catty grin.

"Yet, it came in second," she stated, emphasizing the last word. Cyborg's jaw dropped at that bombshell; he quickly rallied and with a fierce look pointed at the two punks.

"Well even a great car can't be expected to be at the top of its game when driven by losers. That race doesn't count!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"You asking for a rematch?" Raven inquired, now facing him fully and looking quite amused.

"Nothing _re_ about it, you ain't seen nothing from my ride yet," Cyborg proclaimed. She answered him a grin that announced her own confidence with no need for words. The spectators were going to get a treat tonight they realized, as the Titan got into the runner up car and the nights champ got ready for another round.

_

* * *

_

Titans Tower:

Cyborg stepped out of the garage into the corridor, humming a happy tune as he walked on. The T-Car was a little banged up from those punks' abuses, but his obsession was subdued for the moment, so he would leave that for tomorrow.

"Cyborg, the computer said you'd come in. I take it you got your car back?" Robin asked as he stepped out of a side corridor to walk alongside the larger Titan.

"That and more, I stand by announcement, this was a great day," Cyborg grinned from ear to ear. Robin stopped, as he could guess from the far away look on his teammate's face that he wouldn't appreciate questions right now. Still, even for this team this was quite the mood swing from earlier; he hadn't even asked about the remainder of the patrol, very unusual.

As the sound of humming faded away Robin decided he might have to look into this himself.

_Somewhere Beneath Jump:_

Midnight typed away at the terminal while humming Beethoven. Planning was a practice her father had driven home in her, but perhaps because of her youth she saw impulse and intuition as being valuable as well.

Tonight was such an example – without any planning, a golden opportunity had fallen into her lap. Raven had only meant to have some fun testing her car, and instead she had gained an invaluable foothold for intelligence.

She closed her newly updated folder on Cyborg, now featuring a subsection on the T-Car. She wondered how she could get information on the other Titans from him without arousing suspicion. That bumper sticker had a tale to tell, and she was interested to see if there was dissent in the enemy ranks. Later, of course, for now she would have to establish herself as someone he truly felt was trustworthy. Time for the infiltration and acting lessons to pay off.

Truly things were going well. She decided to finally ask if she could have Razor transported to Jump; her apparent luck might carry over to that wish being granted. She did miss her faithful pet so, and after tonight no one could deny she was making progress towards the end of the Titans.

**

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**

**1). I know it is early for the T-Car. I offered some thin justification for its appearance, but if that's not enough just know it is moving the plot along.**

_**AN:** Well sorry for the delay. Hope the wider world pieces weren't too annoying. Next Chapter we are back in focus on Jump, in which Midnight and some robots cause trouble with a capital T._

_Till then, be well!_

_**Hate it, love it; please review.**_

What a World, What a World


	8. Interlude: Faithful Servant

Disclaimer: _Yes at long last! I still do not own the Teen Titans! Join in me in a nonexistent celebration of the lacking of anything in this regard!_

_Betaed by _Zim'smostloyalservant

**

* * *

**

Interlude:

Faithful Servant

Sorting messages was a mundane task, too little of importance for the master while too important to trust to bloody electronics. Granted the message came from electronics, but a true conservative is unflappable in the face of the world turning. It was all marked low priority, or it would have been sent straight away to the master, even villains had their versions of junk mail. It just proved some pests of life were truly inescapable.

The servant's face shifted as an eyebrow was lifted, and was turned into a rare smile as he confirmed the origin of the message. A neutral expression best fitted a servant; he should not trouble his employer with his own emotions and only offer thoughts and opinion if asked. True there were extreme situations were a breach of propriety was called for, but thankfully such instances were rare.

Still he could not help but smile a tired smile as the message printed and was folded expertly by wrinkled hands. Wintergreen stood and left his stations, the tails of her coat lifting in the wind of his perfect assent and pivot.

The headquarters was dark, industrial, and Spartan in appearance. His overseeing insured it was near pristine as possible, but as his father had told him of such situations, no Matter how much you polish and perfume a turd, it remains a turd.

Not to say it was a bad piece of real estate, he could vouch for it efficiency, and neigh deadliness as a center for operations. But it was just that a base, not a home even though his master kept it as the closest thing to such a place.

It had not always been so, ah for the old family estate in the picturesque of Virginia. Colonial, with fine grounds, elegant without being opulent, befitting a martial family that prospered in spite of its tendency towards Spartan personalities. It had been home to him since birth and it had been there the master had played war with such troubling seriousness in the distant days of his youth.

It was gone, the house blown up either by the master or his pursuers in the government on that wonderful and terrible night he had returned to them. The butler shuddered to think of what had become of that fine property, images of subdivisions, or worse opulent estates of new money or musicians marring the idyllic landscape.

Even then the surroundings as the family descended beneath the world had been human. Home had been home as well as a base of operations. That changed with the incident with the young master and the mistress' actions.

She had pleaded with him on that night, to come with them, to leave the dark path he was following his master down. Wintergreen gave her the same reason he would later give the master, a servant's duty is to be at the service of their master, it is a poor servant that forsakes that sacred duty in the face of adversity. She had been disappointed, but not surprised as he bid her and the children farewell and went to attend to the master's injury.

And now he came into the presence of the only other human in this massive machine of empire.

The master was seated on his chair amidst the workings of the great engine, both typing at a laptop before him while apparently giving attention to the data playing across the massive wall screen. It was simply beyond a man who remembered the wonder of record players. Thankfully he understood well enough to still be of use, and for the moment his tasks were not so technical.

Some might call the metal monstrosity a throne, but thrones were for a king. And as magnificent as his master was, the man could as of yet claim no true kingdom. Though he understood that could change in the approaching days. Wintergreen bowed ever so slightly as he came up next to Slade, holding out the paper folded into a likeness of an envelope.

"A message from the young mistress," Wintergreen told him as he felt the weight of Slade's attention shift to him. The villain actually closed his lap top before plucking the envelope from his butler's hands. That pleased Wintergreen though his face and body did not reveal such even to Slade's superb senses. After unfolding the paper, it was only a matter of seconds before he handed it back unfolded and opened the computer again.

"A reasonable request considering her progress, see to it Wintergreen," Slade ordered as his attention shifted back to the growth and consolidation of the legal empire on the lap top and the darker one on the imposing screen long before them.

"It shall be done," Wintergreen answered him, before pivoting and departing neither slowly nor quickly with his refined pace. Back in the corridor he paused to read the not for the first time and the trace of a grin played over his face for a moment before he tucked the refolded paper into a pocket and went about his work.

Young Mistress Raven, despite his masters choices in life the butler still believed firmly in God sand was little inclined to trouble him with prayer. Still too this day he gave thanks for the faithful meeting that had lead a scarred wolf to carry a fledging bird into its den. Though he supposed she had grown into winged wolf now, the end of innocence was sad, but it was simply a part of life and growth.

It had not been a part of the masters plan to take a child, his thoughts had been toward someone older already growing strong. And he had wanted a boy for that matter. Raven a tiny, weak girl confused and lost had been the farthest thing from the presented ideal for an apprentice.

It could simply be the mind of the true prince of Machiavelli seizing an unexpected opportunity and easily discarding suddenly obsolete plans. But it was the unending hope of an old butler that it was still the heart of a man that beat beneath the steel, however wicked that man may be.

He was the girl's father; she had known no other he could tell. Why and how was not relevant only that ash had without knowing it been eager to fill that void with the man who had taken her in. And the master had gone through the motions of paternity, even having his alias in the public adopt her corresponding identity.

It may have been simply the logical curse of action to Slade but thinking herself alone young Raven had expressed such joy clutching the documents to her chest. She was his daughter as much as young Rose wherever she was.

Sadly he simply did not know if that love of daughter for fate was returned. Even he, the one who knew Slade best could not confirm one way or another, the man's thoughts on this most vital matter.

It had been the unspoken reason he had stayed the night of the families breaking. To abandon his master was to leave the man alone in the dark with his machines and ambitions. It would be to cruel to contemplate, part for the world when the man who had once been a soldier finally pulled back his curtain and stepped forth, and for the man he prayed was still behind that mask.

Terminator, that ha been his first name. Wintergreen at the mistress's behest watched the horrid movie of the same name for the sake on insight. Her meaning was transparent. Something that looks like a man, but beneath is simply a machine whose sole function is death in all its horrid verities. The master was the opposite, surrounded by metal and circuitry whether his armor or the machines that carried out his will, it was a man that lay underneath all those lairs.

That was the belief that made Wintergreen firmly hold his place, a meager thread connecting a man in darkness to humanity.

He had already collected the silver platter from the kitchens, its dome shining in the lights of the corridor. He imagined it and he looked horridly out of place in the setting. The sort of thing those rubbish mongers called modern artists would paint and try to sell to still more foolish folk.

This wasn't strictly required, but the young mistresses pet would be much easier to coax into a crate if properly feed. Hmm, if Razor was leaving whatever would he do with all the raw meat still in the freezers, Wintergreen wondered?

**

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AN:

_No need to light torches at the mini update after so long waiting. This is just to hold you over while I work on the next chapter for this story, "Déjà vu." A chapter in ewhich pets are let off their leashes, connections hinted at, hopefully epic meta battles, and did I mention a robot army?_

_Do I have your attention? Too bad then, because I still need to write the next chapter before you can give it any attention. _

_Until then, long days pleasant nights to you all._


	9. Versus

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. It belongs to whoever owns it and the various characters. If I did own it I would have some neat war antiques from the nineteenth century and the Great War, oh and the show would have had more grittiness and no chibi. I hate the chibi so much.

_Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant._

* * *

"_The brighter the light shines, the deeper the shadows cast."_

_-_Sir Laban_, _Berserk

**Versus**

_Beneath Jump City:_

Raven stood on the shadow ridden loading dock deep underground, the caged light bulbs providing enough light to see but not to fully banish the darkness. Slade had designed the base, so it was along the same industrial lines he preferred. Not that she minded; while she enjoyed the brighter aesthetics of her alter ego's residence, this was what felt like home.

And as the massive forklift carried a metal shipping container large enough to hold a pick up truck down the tunnel, Raven knew it was about to get homier. Flanked by a pair of the standard soldier class robots, she was dressed in her uniform save for her mask. While it wasn't too much trouble to change in and out of her armor quickly, she had acquired the habit of not wearing the mask in the midst of her own base. After all, she did have to wear a mask of a different sort as Raven Wilson when she was at work or the flat.

Purposefully diverting her thoughts Raven looked at the steel container approaching her position, again reading the shipping label. Medical supplies bound for Singapore, some phony humanitarian relief for some actual tragedy unfolding in Asia. That was a bit funny, in an unhealthy sort of way. Though Raven admitted the biohazard symbol on the crate was accurate after a fashion.

The container bellowed like a cheap church bell when it was rammed from the inside. Raven saw the new dent bloom outward, and the glint of far shinier metal in the center before it retracted. The action had moved the crate considerably and with a sickening sliding of metal on metal it fell from the forklift to the concrete with a clang, a mere few meters from the dock.

"Someone's in a mood; open it," Raven smiled, turning her head slightly to address the robots. They leapt down from the dock to land in front of the crate, obedient and expendable; they really were ideal unskilled labor and troops. Unholstering their lasers, they struck the same point with the beams and began to curve away from each other in a circle of freshly molting metal.

Hmm, Wintergreen must have drugged her, to ship her in such a fragile case, Raven realized. Probably in her food, though he may have used gas. Still, Raven felt her pet deserved a reward after her long absence; she fingered the juicy raw filet mignon held idly in her gauntleted hand. The juice was running down her fingers; bloody hands before the day's festivities even start, the villain observed wryly.

A powerful blow from within the container bent the half finished hole out like a can top. Raven watched with a smile as her pet sprang free from the containment and, in short order, disemboweled and tore apart the two robots before Raven drew her attention with a whistle. Raven tossed the meat, which was caught in sharpened teeth and promptly torn into with abandon.

Still chewing, Razor deftly hopped up to the dock and walked up to Raven on all fours. The villainess coated her hand in shadow so Razor could really feel her stroking her mane, the creature purring in appreciation.

"I know, I know, big sis has been away for quite awhile. Well, we'll make up for lost time with a new version of your favorite game, search and destroy," Midnight smiled wickedly at the thought of her plans for the day.

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_

Titan's Tower:

Jinx was in a good mood; only the other Titans would be able to tell that her normally sarcastic and mocking cheerfulness was genuine, save perhaps Starfire who would normally take her moods literally. Jinx could not say why she felt so; she had woken from a pleasant dreamless sleep energized and from breakfast and early training to her current position of reading magical theory text on her purple covered bed, nothing had happened to sour the mood.

Her room was Gothic, albeit instead of drowning in darkness someone would be more off put by the shades of blue, purple, and pink that switched from dark to unpleasantly bright to the casual observer. Aside from a dreary corner that served as her magic workstation, the room was brightly adorned and decorated with stuffed Cheshire cat-like figures and plushies. The two things that went against the theme of over bearing sensory assault to mere mortal eyes, which was actually part of her security system truth be told, was a pair of pictures. The first on her cat engraved nightstand was a framed photo of the Titans posing in front of the tower, taken on the day of their officially taking residence in the building. The second, which would puzzle anyone but Jinx, was an old Justice League poster. It showed Superman's face in profile looking slightly upward with a calm but wary expression on his handsome features and the JL crest in the bottom left corner.

So the witch savored the flavor while waiting for the other shoe to drop into the pudding. Because life had taught her that good things always get balanced with some crap or other eventually.

'If only the reverse could readily be believed,' she sighed internally.

When the alarm sounded she did sigh aloud with resignation, putting her book on her pillow and marking her place. And thus the shoe was released, now to see how it landed, Jinx thought.

She didn't have to think about getting to the main room; her feet knew the way well enough by now. She nodded to Beast Boy as he reached the door the same time as she did. They didn't normally arrive by the same door; where had he been to intersect with her route, Jinx wondered?

The door opened to show they were the last to arrive and she paused while Beast Boy continued through the doorway as the cause of their summoning played out on the screen.

"Is that Star Labs?" Beast Boy asked as he and Jinx joined the other Titans. Starfire was hanging back where they joined her, while Robin's fingers danced across the keyboard, summoning more data. Cyborg had a cable from his shoulder attached to a port of the computer, apparently downloading something. Apparently finished, the cable disengaged and retracted into his shoulder and out of sight.

"Two attacks, by over twenty robots each, armed with level three weapons. One is in Star Labs on the outskirts of town; the other is tearing through the Diamond District looting and causing a lot of collateral damage. Neither can wait, we need to split up," Robin told his team, turning from the computer to face them.

"The Star admin just let me download a digital layout and all he could disclose on what's there in the labs, so I'll be taking that one. BB, I'll need you on this," Cyborg told his friend, who nodded in answer, grinning at the acknowledgement.

"Starfire and I will take the Diamond District; the Special Response Units are already on site but they need back up if we want to avoid civilian casualties skyrocketing. Jinx, stay here and monitor the situation," Robin announced.

"What! ? Taking down tech is my specialty, and you stick me with guard duty, again?" Jinx protested, stepping up to the team leader. Mask and shades concealed all the eyes involved but the glares underneath were apparent enough. Robin, having no time to waste on this, answered promptly.

"These are the same model of robots Midnight used during the Lightning and Thunder Incident. She may be behind this and even make an appearance at one site. Or there may be a third target she will see to personally. We need someone here to respond or provide back up if the situation changes.

"Titans go!" Robin wrapped up his reasons with the signal. In short order, Jinx found herself alone in the room. Making a light growl of irritation at being left behind, but having no case, the witch plopped down on the couch and watched the screen for trouble.

_

* * *

_

Diamond District:

Robin watched impassively as an SRU's laser rifle finished off a damaged robot. The thing had been carrying a bag in its remaining hand. It slipped from the grip and burst open, spewing money and jewels on the pavement.

This wasn't right, Robin repeated to himself. At this rate most of the plunder would be captured or returned. If their goal had been simple destruction, why bother with stealing at all? It was clear Midnight was not serious about looting or her robots would have withdrawn with their spoils rather than linger like this.

Lifting his gaze he looked out over the rooftops from his perch on the ledge. Though smoke plumes were still rising, the sounds of battle were dying down. This would be over soon and what had it achieved beyond breaking robots and damaging one the swankier parts of town?

Some villains, like the Joker, raised Cain just for the sake of it, but Midnight did not seem the type for that kind of chaos. Then again, he had only encountered her once, hardy sufficient to properly profile her. Reaching a decision, Robin activated his communicator, setting it to Starfire's frequency.

"Starfire, this sector is cleared," Robin told her.

"Glorious, the soldiers and I are almost done. I am pursuing the last of the drones into a structure," Starfire reported. Robin felt something click into place; the drones had never retreated during his fight.

"Starfire, get out of there!" Robin commanded as he saw the set up for a trap. She began to answer before he heard something crashed through a wall. He heard starbolts fire and a metallic ringing before the connection went dead.

The Boy Wonder was already swinging through the air when he closed the useless channel, praying he wouldn't be too late.

_

* * *

_

Titans Tower:

Jinx tapped her shoes together as she watched the monitors from her slouched position on the couch. She couldn't read the data flow like Cyborg and, somehow, Robin could. Machines and her didn't really mix, so tech skills were something she had never bothered to acquire. Still, the city monitors were dropping, apparently destroyed in combat. Star Labs they had only exterior visuals on, and that didn't tell her anything except parts of it were on fire. And small fires at that, it looked like.

What was it with attackers and setting fires? I mean if you want to conquer why burn it to the ground? And if you want to steal why burn potential loot? Well, no one asked her, she supposed.

Still, what she could still see of the city indicated the robots were being beaten back and she guessed it would only be a little bit before Starfire and the jerk, backed by the SWAT, would have the situation handled. As for STAR the fact they hadn't called for help indicated things were under control there.

All in all it looked like she was going to miss out on the action, again! Jinx simmered mutinously, slouching further down on the couch. They knew she had skills, so why was she the one Robin always picked to leave on standby? She needed an opportunity to show off her mad magic skills it would seem. Jinx instantly regretted the thoughts when the monitors gave way to static with the message "signal lost" flashing in red.

That was almost never a good sign.

The proximity alert went off next and a new screen popped up showing her the shore of the island. Her eye bugged out behind her shades as at least a dozen hulking robots with one red eye each and large pincer arms with big mounted blaster marched out of the surf onto land.

"Well Robin, looks like you were right about the third target," Jinx muttered to herself. Getting to her feet she typed away at the keyboard bringing up the auto defense protocol. Normally it only activated when the Tower itself was attacked, but she doubted the big scary robots had come to sell cookies.

Reaching the activation command screen Jinx typed in the password that would activate the external defense grid. With that backing her up she should be able to take care of the murder machines in short order.

INCORRECT PASSWORD.

Jinx blinked at the message filling the screen and entered the password again – to the same effect. This time it also told her she could only retry once more. Angry at this point she paid special attention to each letter and number, before hitting enter.

She sighed in relief when the screen went blank. Then Cyborg's image appeared on it, and she didn't like the look on his face or the chiding finger he was waving. That look was the one he wore just before he banned her from the T-Car and other times he let that mischievous (malevolent!) side out to play.

"Hello, you are listening to a recording. I'm actually impressed you could reach this terminal, but as a hacker you fail man. Since we seem to be unavailable for the normal butt kicking, I'll just have to give you the chute. Have a nice day," Cyborg smiled nastily, while waving as if in farewell.

"Chute?" Jinx asked puzzled just before she felt a wind kick up. She didn't see the ceiling panel over her head slide back to reveal a large fan before a trap door opened under her feet. Before Jinx knew it she was ripping down through a tunnel at break neck speeds. What's more, the tunnel twisted and turned in the dark, threatening to make her loose her lunch. As suddenly as it started it ended. The blue sky was before her and she felt gravity reassert itself, landing on her rear with a grunt directed toward the stony soil.

She was outside, in the middle of the robot group, which she idly noticed was actually twenty in number. Jinx watched as the tower visibly locked down with steel curtain and everything, before each and every robot turned its attention to the lone Titan.

"CYBORG!" the witch cursed, as she flipped into the air from her sitting position to avoid the first laser blast.

'I should have stayed in bed,' she thought herself.

_

* * *

_

STAR Labs:

"That seems to be the last of them BB," Cyborg told his teammate as the green ape tossed aside the broken remains of the ninja robot. The corridor in star labs was littered with broken robots; the things were tricky but just a higher level of minion when you got down to it.

"Awesome, and all done in time for lunch," Beast Boy cheered, returning to his true form. Cyborg grinned at his teammate's attitude, but looked down to stomp a robot head that was still activated.

"Yeah, but this is weird. They didn't seem to be trying to steal anything, and no one's been reported as missing. Even the damage doesn't seem to have been coordinated beyond being all over the place," Cyborg thought, glancing around at the small fires being doused by the safety system squirting foam from the ceilings.

Another reason they had tried to avoid fighting in the labs, who knew what kind of funky stuff was cooking in here. They could accidentally unleash a giant monster, or just blow up a wing of the building according to nobody's plan.

"Maybe it was a warning, the whole 'horse head in your bed' Godfather deal?" Beast Boy suggested, assuming a thinking pose. Cyborg didn't think that was it, but it was as good a guess as any. No, they were missing something, or this was stinking of diversion. Then his eye started beeping and a screen popped up in his vision giving him the answer he was looking for.

"Trouble," Beast Boy stated, getting a bit more serious, but also excited.

"Someone just broke into one of the vaults over in Wing C, that's the stuff that's off the records BB. Looks like the real party's just getting started," Cyborg grinned, turning to run towards the new opponent.

"Then let's bring the dinner to the table!" Beast Boy followed up.

"Seriously? You really need to work on your dialog BB," Cyborg taunted as his friend pulled ahead turning into a green stag.

* * *

Midnight took a moment to admire the green computer chip in her hands. It was quite large; considering its potential that was to be expected, but it was also a bit pretty – she wondered if that had been intentional or it was just her unorthodox perspective coming into play again.

A pity she had no use for it beyond misdirection, she thought, tucking it away into a pouch on her belt. Deciding she had given them enough time, she turned around and walked back towards the vault's door. Coating herself in shadows, Midnight stepped into the reinforced door. It was thick; taking three steps through the molasses like texture that rendered all but her sense of touch null. It had been disquieting years ago. Now it was something to be enjoyed, stickiness aside she could not be detected or harmed in this state, Slade had discovered.

Still, it was thrilling to step back into the light and have her senses flare outward once more. Her trademark half grin appeared on her face at the sight of Beast Boy watching her step out of a piece of living darkness in surprise. It seemed she had made an entrance without meaning too – ah, and there was Cyborg.

"Midnight. Robin had a feeling you were behind this," Cyborg told her as he came up beside Beast Boy. It would be interesting to compare his mannerisms from their time at the tracks to this encounter. Nothing like first hand experience.

"I would be disappointed if he hadn't. Since you're here I suppose he's playing with my pet in the city. Well, I trust you gentleman know how to show a young lady a good time?" Midnight asked with mocking sweetness. She even faked a curtsy in greeting them, grabbing the edges of her cloak and bowing slightly.

"...What are you doing?" Beast Boy inquired, a bit thrown by the villain's behavior. Her grin was fuller at that and threatened to show teeth as she straightened up, thin wisps of shadow rising from the ground to wrap around her armored legs.

"I'm being polite of course. After all, this is your funeral, one must observe proper etiquette," Midnight whispered audibly. The words just registered with the heroes when the girl sprang into the air, shadows trailing in her wake at the launch, her cloak wafting about her as she pulled a grenade from somewhere on her belt.

* * *

Robin saw Starfire first, naturally, since her communicator doubled as a tracking device just for situations like this. She was hovering at level with him on the rooftop of a shop; he noticed her right arm was bleeding, and bent unnaturally below her elbow. Broken he concluded, and a long but seemingly shallow gash on her stomach he realized as she turned partly to face him.

"Robin," she sighed in relief at his arrival. He could guess why; Starfire had told him her race was far more durable than humans, and her military conditioning made her tougher than average along with soldier skills. Whatever had injured her was a step up from what they typically faced.

Following the direction her attention shifted too, he stepped cautiously up to the ledge and caught his first sight of the new enemy.

It was a metahuman, a girl fourteen years or so old he would guess. Emphasis on guess – her mutation was quite potent. Her skin was clearly metallic, catching the sun's light as she moved. Her head was the color of steel, much of her torso and limbs flowed from steel to silver in color, and steel plates seemed to be fused to her, barely preserving her modesty. Her joints and neck though were reddish like raw iron, with flashes of copper from her under arms.

She in general moved wrong, becoming apparently excited at seeing him, shifting between running around gracefully on her legs, to slouching down to run on all fours with her knuckles like an ape or something. Robin would say she was in good physical shape if she was human.

Finally, her eyes, when she "looked" up at them. Though, it couldn't be called looking since she had no eyes to look with. Her sockets were sealed with the same kind of plates that covered her breasts, judging by the color. Her features were European indicative and perhaps attractive, but her missing eyes and the grin revealing pointed metal teeth was quite off putting. Robin realized she had no outer ears, simply depressions in her skull around holes in the right place. Her hair seemed more like a mane of quicksilver; as he watched it toss around her shoulders, it seemed to shift from a fibrous bundle to a semi solid mass.

No, he couldn't be sure if this girl was a metahuman or an alien of some kind. Starfire looked more human.

"Who is she? Is she with Midnight?" Robin asked, shifting slightly as the enemy became visibly excited.

"She hasn't said… well, anything. Be cautious, blades sprout from her body and she can leap up to these roofs. She is also quite stronger than she looks, and my starbolts seem to splash off her like water off a sxando," Starfire reported, her voice a bit strained by the pain of her arm.

The enemy seemed to decide it was time for the fight to resume. Hunching down, she took a running start before leaping up towards Robin. Starfire hurled a starbolt at the attacker, who simply took it on an arm. Robin stepped back as she landed where he had been standing, the roof cracking under her impact.

'If she is metallic, she must have a considerable weight, that could be useful fighting here on the roofs,' Robin noted.

The Boy Wonder leveled his staff at the metallic girl as she turned to face him, blades sliding from between her knuckles and longer ones bursting from her shoulders. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Cyborg tracked the grenade as it clattered across the ground… and did nothing. Judging by Midnight's lack of a reaction it wasn't meant to do anything but separate him and BB in dodging it. Sure enough, she was now advancing on him at a quick but calm pace, her metal boots clinking quietly on the floor. Despite the well-lit corridors of STAR Labs, this was taking on a dark atmosphere he didn't like one bit; it stank of a set up.

Cyborg knew they had to hit the ground running on this one, his arm already shifting into his sonic cannon.

"Well here's the church bell," Cyborg rebutted as the sonic blast erupted from his arm. Midnight did not dodge as he expected. The Titan's mechanical eye saw her cloak get thrown back, revealing her armored form and actually kick the blast. He realized her right leg had been coated with some dark substance before the rebounding blast nailed him in the stomach and knocked him on his rear and back down the corridor.

'How? I can see shields or catching bullets but how do you even react quick enough to try and kick an energy attack?' Cyborg thought. This was on the level of Robin after all, Cyborg realized as he surged back to his feet ready to take it up a notch.

Beast Boy was being a grizzly bear at the moment, and trying to maul the villain. However, she seemed just a bit too agile, stepping back from each strike, avoiding them by the skin of her teeth. Unfortunately, the near misses did not seem to be phasing her in the slightest.

She flipped into the air to avoid the second sonic blast and Beast Boy's attack. Cyborg came up next to BB as the changeling resumed his true form; Midnight was standing back towards the vault door, letting her cloak conceal most of her form.

"She's good," Beast Boy admitted, scrutinizing their enemy, who seemed content to let them make the next move. That was rarely a good sign.

"Our transmissions are being jammed; Robin's in a trap or we are. Don't get separated, we take her down together," Cyborg stated. Beast Boy nodded and received in turn as Midnight shifted her stance slightly; if the words worried her it didn't show.

Cyborg charged with a cry, a fist raised and surging with electricity. Midnight actually looked a bit disappointed at the frontal assault and leapt over his head gracefully.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized what she hadn't seen was the green tiger behind Cyborg's bulk that she was leaping into. More of the black stuff burst out of her legs giving her more lift and changing direction to avoid the tiger-ific landing. Beast Boy was having none of it and leapt to knock her out of the air, claws drawn.

It was his turn to be bug eyed when he passed through him; that thick smoke she had been producing engulfed her and she dissolved on his contact. Already reforming from her shadows, Midnight skidded on her landing and turned to face them in a crouch.

"Great, magic," Cyborg concluded as he and Beast Boy took positions again.

"How many powers do you have?" Beast Boy demanded, quite annoyed. He was a one trick pony when it came to powers, and proof that all you need was one trick when you mastered it.

"I won't need to use all my powers against the likes of you. Not even a weapon," Midnight boasted in classic evildoer arrogance. Except the fact was they hadn't landed a single hit on her yet.

Beast Boy morphed into a wolf while Cyborg charged his cannon anew. This party was just getting started.

* * *

Jinx weaved around the rocks as the laser blasts trailed in her wake. This timing had to be perfect.

She leapt up into the air, making a robot towering in front of her turn to face her just as she let two hexes strike its lone eye. The laser blast from the robot chasing her struck her victim on the chest while her magic was still playing across it. The robot went boom just as she deftly land behind a rock for shelter.

"Three down, more to go. This sucks!" Jinx cursed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She had lost her hair braces earlier blowing up a robot's head and she was still panting from the exertion. The rock was ripped from the ground exposing her as loose dirt fell away from it, revealing another robot looking down on her.

Sighing, Jinx dashed forward, staying low and rolled between its legs, firing a pair of hexes into its knee joints. It collapsed forward, still holding the rock as Jinx came to her feet in front of two robots aiming charged blasters at her.

'Cyborg, you will pay for this,' Jinx vowed as she danced like she wanted to live as the ground started exploding around her.

* * *

It was warm and she was having fun, which made it a good day. It would have been a good day simply to have her sister back, and the scary but strong alpha was not around.

The new prey was much more fun, lots of chasing and no flying cheating. She could hear his heart through the ground and… the stuff people built? She could not recall what the things made from rock and the stuff she was made of were called.

'Ah, thinking is too hard, better to be doing,' passed through the much-reduced mind of Razor. Choosing instead to focus on how tasty the new prey smelled, she sprouted more claws and lunged anew.

She smelled the cut before she felt it, sweet blood. Tasty blood, she amended as she let the prey retreat to lick the sweet sweetness from the claw. Much better than the flying cheater, she tasted bad. She couldn't eat him, but surely tasting him was alright.

Didn't matter, she was having fun.

* * *

Some important things learned about the enemy. She is strong enough to kick a pouncing wolf away with her magic leg. She is more agile than humans ought to be, which was perhaps excusable since she may not be entirely human.

Also, she preferred dodging or blocking to phasing through attacks – perhaps it took too much out of her? More importantly today we learn the villain known as Midnight cannot phase through energy attacks unharmed.

Still smoky she had kicked off a green raptor's leathery back and only just noticed the blue energy barreling down on her. The cloak made it difficult to tell, but it looked like she took in it in the chest despite her shadows swirling about. Midnight was sent hurling back over Beast Boy's head; she landed in a rough crouch, her armor apparently keeping her from serious harm. But she was still long enough. A green hawk swooped down on her and practically exploded into flesh and with a grunt of surprise Midnight was lifted into the air as a green octopus cocooned her in its tentacles.

Midnight grinned, shadows starting to creep up her face. That grin slipped as a cable struck her left cheek and stuck. Electricity surged through the cable, pumping several volts of the painful energy into the villain. She actually cried out once before slumping as the charge ran its course. She looked fine except for her hair being a bit frizzed. Cyborg hurried up though, not about to take chances. He would rip the mask off and punch her until he was sure she was staying down; that phasing power meant she could not wake up before she was in League hands.

Her head snapped up as he was paces away, and he stopped cold when hell red eyes flared through that mask. A pained face, opening to horrible red eyes as a large hand touched her shoulder, shadows, blood on the grass… Cyborg's mind tore him back to that place as it took in all that he could see of Midnight's appearance.

'Oh dear god.'

"BB, get away from her!" Cyborg screamed. The changeling reacted to the warning on drilled-in reflex, immediately becoming a hummingbird just as four meter-long shadow spikes erupted from Midnight, one barely missing impaling him as it was.

Fortunately, the green hero had a moment's reprieve on the heels of his near brush. Midnight staggered for a moment, lifting her hand as if to clutch her head before catching herself. Eyes purple again she leapt after Beast Boy, who easily evaded her before becoming a hawk and trying to rip up her face before she backhanded him away.

Landing badly, the green titan realized Cyborg was just standing there and called out, not that Cyborg heard, still watching the fight with a blank expression. Midnight expertly saw the opening and before anyone knew it was in front of the largest Titan, chambering a shadow charged kick.

'After all this time,' Cyborg marveled blankly as he watched Midnight kick him in the chest.

Beast Boy watched the attack as if in slow motion. Cyborg didn't even try and do anything to block the attack; had Midnight done something to his brain… err, hardrive? He winced as he saw the big guy's chest plates buckle and crack under the impact. Then everything sped back up to normal and Cyborg flew back through the air and straight through a wall and out of sight.

Midnight stepped up to the wall and looked outside to where Cyborg was laying spread-eagled on the lawn two stories below. She frowned as her watch started to beep, the first time Beast Boy noticed she was wearing one.

"Well it was fun changeling, but time is up for today. I got what I wanted and now I must be on my way. Best you see to your tin man, looks like he could use some oil," Midnight grinned. With that she melted into the floor through the pool of shadows that had spread from her feet.

No time for pursuit, he had to see if Cyborg needed help. Fortunately, if it was bad STAR Labs was probably better than a hospital for fixing him.

* * *

Robin remained calm as the enemy picked herself up again. Whoever she was, she was tough. She seemed to actually be metallic and as such quite durable. She could also sprout those blades and retract them with deadly efficiency; the rips on his uniforms accompanied with shallow cuts were a testament to her skill.

Still, she was vulnerable to electricity; his electroshock birdarangs had seemed to win the day, only for him to nearly get impaled through the chest when her mane of that strange metal morphed into a cluster of spikes. He had been reaching to check her vitals uncertain if his attack had been too much since she was probably highly conductive.

Lesson learned; he couldn't tell how smart the enemy was, but she knew how play possum. Which was another concern, she didn't seem to be pressing too hard, which made him worry this might be a distraction.

Starfire had just discovered a new weakness that Robin was kicking himself for not guessing. While electricity hurt this enemy, it clearly just hurt her. When Starfire had rescued him from her sneak attack she had inadvertently screamed in the monster's ear, causing it to cry out as well. Now the enemy was below them, having retreated earnestly for the first time in the fight.

She didn't look ready to leave for good, and Robin was not one to let a villain get away. He swung down to the street level, drawing a sonic birdarang. It wasn't anywhere near the level of Cyborg's sonic tech, and he only had three of them since they were rarely needed.

But this enemy was blind, it had to use its other senses to take up the slack, and its ears in particular seemed singled out. If they could effectively blind her then...

A whistle cut through the standoff and the enemy simply turned and ran away, using two legs this time. It kneeled down just in time for a manhole in front of it to be sent flying. A black shape shot up from the hole, landing delicately just as the manhole struck the pavement with a clang.

"Midnight," Robin stated darkly as Starfire landed next to him.

"Hello Robin, I'm afraid I haven't come to play today. I'm just here to pick up my pet," Midnight told him as the metallic girl knelt on knees and knuckles before her. Midnight reached out a shadow coated hand, and began to pet her through the quicksilver mane. Robin's eyes were bugging out behind his mask while Starfire was confused by this turn of events.

"Pet?" Robin asked dumbly. Midnight grinned in amusement at his shock as her pet started to purr.

"Yes, and you seem to have given her a nice work out. Thank you, it will be easier to manage her tonight now," Midnight answered shifting her attention back to the Titans.

"She's your pet?" Robin demanded stonily. Replacing the sonic weapon in his belt and drawing several other projectiles in its place, Starfire looked briefly to him worried at his undertone. The alien Titan realized the stand off was becoming more tense than usual; she wished her other friends were here as well.

"Mhm, Razor here might have been a person once, but it seems someone experimented a bit too much, and broke her little mind.

"It's probably an improvement; she does make an interesting and unique animal. Not to mention a faithful pet, though not entirely housebroken," Midnight rambled with friendliness that dripped with sarcasm. Robin snapped at this atrocious situation.

With a near roar of outrage he let a brace of explosive birdarangs loose towards the armored villain. Midnight did nothing as the hail of deadly weapons hurled toward her. Razor bolted from her relaxed position to leap into the projectiles' path, arms and legs tucked protectively. The explosive impacts rattled the street as smoke obscured the blast zone.

Robin's eyes narrowed as a gust of wind revealed the street empty, some damage to the road the only indication the villain and her slave had been there.

"Temper, temper Robin, you don't want to cost the city even more money in damage do you?" Midnight chided, her voice echoing around them. Robin and Starfire glanced around, birdarangs and starbolts ready if a new attack should come.

"Running away again?" Robin inquired; he only received more laughter to that.

"Don't expect me to rise to such juvenile bait. I ran my errand and let my pet off the leash for some exercise; this outing is simply finished. Now, rather than yelling at my back perhaps you should make sure your own house is in order," Midnight taunted, her voice growing more distant. Realization hit Robin and Starfire, each brining out their communicator. Robin tried to raise the Tower and got only static.

"Friend Jinx!" Starfire cried out distressed as she shot up into the air.

"Starfire, wait, it could be a..." his words trailed off as the alien girl soared out of sight. Opening his communicator again he raised a new frequency.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy, report," he demanded as the screen split to show the two somewhat battered Titans.

* * *

The island was a mess when Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy got there. Robot parts littered nearly half of it, some looked to have exploded while others lay nearly intact in their smoking hulks. Clearly what went down had been serious.

Robin wondered if the Tower had been Midnight's objective, after all, the HIVE had seized it on her orders.

He put that speculation aside as they found Jinx near the base of the tower standing unsteadily supported by Starfire with one arm under her armpit. Her outfit was in similar condition to Robin's, but she had also lost her hair braces, leaving her hair to fall down her back. Her shades were also gone, revealing the adhesive patch that covered her left socket and a very weary pink catlike eye in her other socket.

It looked like she might pass out there and then, but she caught sight of Cyborg instead. Beast Boy would later swear a fire ignited in her eyes as she somehow shrugged off Starfire and shambled over to a stunned Cyborg, who despite her clear weakness was a little intimidated by the vibes coming off the witch.

"Bastard, you sabotaged me! Changed password," she slurred. Her arms apparently out of commission, she instead kicked him in the shin, apparently forgetting his shins were metal and that her boot had been lost at some pint. The witch fell backwards with a pained grunt and was only able to avoid the ground by Starfire propping her up from behind. Robin looked a question at Cyborg, who looked puzzled, then troubled. He saw the tower was locked down; why would it lock Jinx out, he wondered?

"Why didn't my external security system kick in?" Cyborg wondered aloud. Taking out his keys he pointed the tiny remote at the tower and hit the unlock button. Rewarded with a mighty bip-boop, the tower unlocked, returning to its normal state as the metal curtains and blast doors retracted.

* * *

_A Short Time Later:_

"Admit it, you're out to get me!" Jinx yelled at Cyborg from the couch. Some orange juice and a scarfed tuna sandwich with anchovies had given her some energy, which was currently being used to tear into Cyborg while he checked the system.

"Friend Jinx, you should not say such things about friends, maybe I should prepare the pudding of peace to help reconcile your differences?" Starfire pleaded before becoming contemplative. The implied threat of Tamaranean dessert made Cyborg look up from his work in distress; Beast Boy pitied him from his spot on the couch wrapping up Jinx's arms in bandages. Robin was watching from some paces away, making his own evaluation on the situation.

"Hey, not letting you ride in my car isn't a homicidal conspiracy Jinx! We all have the same password; if it failed you it would fail any of us and that ain't gonna fly. Now I'm going to..." Cyborg trailed off as he glanced back to the board and blinked; leaning in for a closer look he could have sworn if this was a cartoon he would sweatdrop.

"Guys I found the problem," Cyborg muttered monotonly. The other Titans crowded the keyboard looking around his broad shoulders. It took a moment for them to realize what was wrong, Cyborg pointing to the offending light.

"Caps lock?" Jinx queried no one.

"Yeah, I'll just…" Cyborg laughed, nervously turning it off.

"Caps lock," Jinx repeated, turning away.

"I'll remove that option from the keyboard," Cyborg told the other Titans, scratching the back of his head.

"Caps lock," Jinx growled, standing in front of the door realizing she still couldn't move her arms.

"Beast Boy," she called angrily. Beast Boy put his plans to mock Cyborg for the evil of the caps lock button (all the sentences it had forced him to rewrite over the years!) on hold to help his friend open the door. She gave grumbled thanks as he followed her through; she may not realize she would need help getting into her room too. Or get undressed? Somehow she must have sensed his thoughts because she stopped in the hallway and halfheartedly stomped the changeling's foot.

_

* * *

_

That Night:

The first priority was repairing the damage Midnight's kicks had done fully. It was a simple enough matter with all the tools and materials needed close at hand. With that done, he set himself down at his desk and started looking over the schematic of his armor. Midnight was clearly gong to be a recurring problem, and she had not only deflected his standard attack with ease but had been able to do real damage with what seemed to be a standard move for her.

Those shadow powers had to be magic. Not his area of expertise, and Jinx was right about science usually having no resort but to bulk up when faced with magic. He had already removed the caps lock button from the keyboard; it was clearly more trouble than it was worth. After all, despite the regular butting of heads he had no desire to see the temperamental Goth get killed. Maybe served plenty of helpings of humble pie, but nothing malicious.

He knew he was dancing around the real issue, buying time. He also knew time was up when Robin called though the door.

"Come in," Cyborg called back, not looking up from his work.

The door slid open, admitting the Boy Wonder; as was his habit he scanned the room for any threats or abnormalities before stepping over the threshold. His second-in-command didn't look up from his work; they both could feel tension gathering. The only thing for it was to press forward and hopefully clear the air in the process.

"I've read Beast Boy's report on what happened in STAR Labs," Robin stated, moving further into the room.

"I told you earlier I would get my report to you in the morning," Cyborg answered truthfully, jotting down an idea for reinforcement on the edge of a diagram of his chest.

"I want to know why you froze," Robin stated without accusation or sympathy. Cyborg paused in his work as Robin continued on.

"Beast Boy offered his usual nonsense about Midnight freezing you with her power or something, but he's a terrible liar when he's worried. It even shows on paper.

"You've seen a lot Cyborg, maybe not as much as me and Starfire, but you are not someone who makes such a stupid mistake. What happened out there?" Robin pressed, a small amount of sympathy creeping into his voice. Cyborg pushed his chair back and stood, but he still faced away from his team leader.

"That move Midnight tried to skewer BB with, I've seen it before," Cyborg answered grimly. That wasn't an answer Robin had been expecting.

"Are you sure?" Robin asked, the question slipping out.

"No, it was years ago, I was just a kid, so was she if I'm right," Cyborg answered, bitterness creeping into his voice. Robin was a bit hesitant to press on – there was some bad history here – but unraveling any of the mystery of Midnight could be invaluable.

"You think you knew Midnight?" Robin inquired.

"No, I met her once, the day my dad was killed. He was stabbed with that same move, right in front of me. It all came back when I saw her eyes, red like hell," Cyborg audibly whispered, his steel fists clenching at his sides. Robin couldn't help but wince in sympathy; he had seen too many people good and bad shaped by such trauma.

"I don't know for sure, understand. It could be someone else – powers aren't always individual. But that girl, she had gray skin and purple hair, just like Midnight. I didn't think anything of it with all the weirdness in the world. But those colors, that power, and she'd be the right age. After all this time..." Cyborg continued before trailing off. Robin waited for him to continue, when he didn't he asked the question that he needed answered.

"Are you looking for revenge?" Robin demanded.

"No, maybe, I don't know man.

"Before my accident I would have said yes and already been out there with a big gun looking to blow her head off. I was in a bad way after losing my dad, and it took a big fuck up to get me on anything resembling the right track again. My dad was a doctor, he hated violence and I know he wouldn't want to be avenged.

"Looking back I'm also pretty sure she didn't mean to kill him. She was just a little girl being harassed by some haters; my dad stepped in and probably caught what they were asking for.

"But still…" Cyborg seethed with anger. Robin wasn't sure what to say to this. There were a number of villains he couldn't face because he had lost the objectivity Batman demanded. Could he trust Cyborg to deal with this as a Titan rather than as a man looking for payback? He wanted to, he really did, but...

"Cyborg, Midnight will continue to be a problem, can you deal with this?" Robin demanded. He had to be team leader first on this. Cyborg whirled to face him, eyes flashing in anger. Only to deflate and sigh, not meeting the team leader's eyes.

"I… I don't know," Cyborg admitted, fatigued by the conflicting emotions coursing through him.

_

* * *

_

Somewhere Beneath Jump City:

Raven ran a pinky finger along her shin; smooth as silk and strong as steel, she concluded. Setting the razor onto the counter, she moved her weight onto her rear and stretched out her legs to admire them. Despite all this time on Earth she had learned her first matters of beauty from her mother, and the women of Azerath take special pride in their legs.

Rising from the closed toilet Raven turned her attention to the mirror, specifically to the towel wrapped around the top of her head like a turban. Unfurling it with a yank, her newly darkened hair fell slickly around her head. Black as her namesake; she turned this was and that to confirm her natural color was completely hidden.

This next part was always the least pleasant. Shrugging off her black bathrobe, she stepped bare into what might have passed for a shower stall, except there were vents instead of a spout. Closing the door behind her, she flipped the switch and stood in the center of the stall, her arms hanging at her sides. As the gaseous solution started to fill up the chamber around her, Raven reflected on the results of the day's festivities.

She had gained the chip from Star Labs, all part of the ruse she would use to carry out her masterstroke. When her robots sought out similar plunder in the weeks to come it would only send the Titans' trail of inquiry further down the wrong path; effectively blinding them to her true objective. Raven could afford to dally a bit, play with and enjoy the game; after all, she held the cards _and_ the initiative, they learned only what she wanted them to know while every battle they fought showed her more of their weaknesses. Cyborg was also more informative than he realized when he chatted with Raven Wilson.

Hmm, Cyborg, his performance today had been surprising. She had expected more after his fight with Guerra. The obvious answer was that he choked, but that went against all the data she had gathered on him from observation and interaction. It was a troubling anomaly, but posed no obstacle to her goals. It was just another reason not to make him the primary target if he was weaker than she had concluded initially.

The witch was surprising as well; despite seeming incompetence early in the battle she had prevailed against the worst odds of all the Titans. Granted that wouldn't have been the case if Midnight had actually been trying to kill Cyborg and Beast Boy. She would have killed the changeling if not for Cyborg's interference. Murder hadn't been part of the agenda today, but still such a golden opportunity was not meant to be passed up.

The fan kicking in told Raven the cycle was done; she opened the door, not caring about letting some fumes out. The hand that grabbed her robes from the counter was now very pale, but human in coloring, as was the arm and body it connected to. Opening the container on the counter Raven skillfully applied the contact lenses that turned her purple orbs dark brown bordering on black.

She looked at her reflection, a human girl, easily a pretty one too. It was her face she disliked like this, because it was just a prettier mask! As Midnight her face was hidden, and as Raven Wilson her face had to look human; she couldn't ever show her true face under the sun! Her eyes flared crimson, and the mirror spider webbed around her face's reflection before it exploded from the frame. Only her shadows reflexively springing up saved her from injury as glass shards wisped past and through her.

Raven fell to the floor with a cry of distress. A few minutes of heavy breathing and she rose to her feet shakily. Looking down to the tiles she saw her eyes in a mirror shard, black eyes not red.

"This is not supposed to be a problem," Raven admonished herself. The wristwatch on the counter began to beep, telling her that she needed to get dressed for the meeting at ARES. She would clean up the mess later; she had to get back to work. This wouldn't be a problem, she reminded herself.

**

* * *

**

AN:

_Well it has certainly been awhile. This chapter came in shorter than I expected, but fight scenes have never been something I was good at. Hope it was not so short and poorly written as to make you want to ruin a perfectly good computer screen._

_Anyway, here we got some action and that plot I planted a while back is starting to grow. Next chapter will less action as we explore characters in "Personal." That chapter I have been looking forward to writing for sometime. The chapter after that will feature a familiar face I couldn't resist bringing into the mix; its going to be fun to write and hopefully fun to read. But before we get there I need to update Kindred and then Queen of all Oni._

_Speaking of PDJ since several of you read that story as well I have started a forum for Project Dark Jade on my profile. It may be of some interest, or not._

_Thank you all for the lovely reviews and for your patience with my slow output._

_Oh and eternaldead, I can't answer your PM because you have it turned off._

_Until next time, long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	10. Slices of Life

Disclaimer:_ I do own Teen Titans, I mean really? If I owned Teen Titans this would be an Elseworld or something, unless my corporate masters told me no. Yeah, I just started depressing myself, enjoy the chapter._

_Betaed by: Red Leader Zala & Zim'smostloyalservant_

**Slices of Life**

JINX:

The coins thumped against the bottom of the plastic cup as Jinx tilted her hand. The clerk smiled a bit as the Titan emptied her change into the tip cup; the gothic heroine took a sip from the latte already turning away. This coffee shop was trendy enough for her taste, the little plastic cup the sole concession to the mundanity many of the darkly dressed frowning patrons despised.

Not that she liked the other customers, most had less reason to hate the world than she did, and whined far more about it. But she found the atmosphere a fine antidote for the boys and perky girl she put up with at the Tower. But today she passed the couches and booths paying little mind to the low music permeating the air. Another day's medicine, not what she found herself needing today, she thought as she pushed the heavy door open with an elbow.

Jinx stepped out into the sun, pushing her glasses redundantly further up her nose. The bag hanging from her shoulder sent swaying by the movement. The likelihood on being called out for her little gray market shopping was unlikely, after all who padded down heroes, but life had taught her not to make needless gambles.

Still she paused for a moment taking in the charged atmosphere of the city, such a contrast to the purposefully drained one she had just come from. It was chaos and order as only people in unhealthy numbers could achieve. Bitter and sweet on the tongue, a delightful contradiction Jinx had long since concluded.

But there was still much to do so she let herself get swept away, all the while using the current bound for home.

The trip back to the tower was smooth; Jinx appreciated her powers not making themselves known. Thoughts of her bags contents and her room brought a small smile to her face; finally she would be able to begin. That was when she was ambushed.

"No," Jinx declared holding out her hand to emphasize her point. Beast Boy's ears drooped as he clutched the game box to his chest

"You gotta! I have been waiting a year to play Oval Combat II!" Beast Boy whined now brandishing the package with the White House on the cover with a roman numeral two.

"So get Cyborg to do it," Jinx rolled her eye behind her shades as if it was the obvious answer.

"He's busy building that new obstacle course, he could take hours. Hours!" Beast Boy cried.

"What about-" Jinx began.

"Starfire doesn't like fighting games and Robin's in the crime lab," Beast Boy interrupted. Jinx searched for another pretext when the green boy shrank from sight and was replaced by an adorable green kitten with big green eyes.

"Cheater, stop that!" Jinx demanded as he continued to give her the sad kitty face. The witch was determined to not give in.

"MILLARD FILLMORE, WINS!" the game proclaimed in a deep baritone. Beast Boy yanked his hair with his free hand while Jinx gave a catty grin. The two sat on the main couch as the screen showed the Oval Office with one dead president standing triumphant over another.

"No way! Who's even heard of Millard Fillmore?" Beast Boy wailed.

"You picked the guy in the wheel chair," Jinx jeered as the select screen came back up. She selected a different Roosevelt while Beast Boy got a sneaky look on his face. Moving the control stick rapidly and pressing the buttons in a quick sequence the screen darkened.

"CHARACTER UNLOCKED," the game stated. The screen light up again revealing the opponents.

"Wait, he was never president," Jinx muttered. Several lightning attacks later Beast Boy crowded his triumph as the fatality was executed, with a lighting bolt destroying Teddy Roosevelt.

"BEN FRANKLIN WINS, FATALITY," the game proclaimed. Jinx set aside her controller and got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Beast Boy protested.

"I've got more important things to do than mess around with your mindless violence," Jinx waved a hand dismissively.

"Hey it's not just violent, it's also educational. It's violational!" Beast Boy proclaimed. He froze in pose as Jinx cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'Really, really?' The shape shifter deflated as Jinx shook her head.

"That didn't come out right," Beast Boy admitted.

"There was a right way?" Jinx snickered. Beast Boy rose to that challenge with the tried and true response.

"Well its more fun than your cliché RPGs. Magical girl role playing, very original," Beast Boy retorted.

"At least those have a plot, you do is pummel whatever pops up on the screen," Jinx shot back, falling into the familiar argument.

"Do not mock the pummeling!" Beast Boy leapt unto the couch dramatically.

Jinx set her bag down on her desk. Her room was not well light at the moment; she took off her shades letting her sole pink cat's eye look on unhindered. It glanced to her calendar, the Xs were leading up to a day that was unmarked but gave her a moment's pause. She had almost forgotten.

Even as her stomach clenched she was relieved she remembered. She rose from her desk, the bag forgotten.

Walking to the door se gave a brief chant under her breath and watched as runes flared in bright pink spiraling from under her hand to cover the door and then spread out across her wall, ceiling and floor.

"No reaction," Jinx noted as the runes faded from sight. The wards were intact and no new bugs planted. Safe, her room was still safe.

Taking a deep breath she walked over to her poster and traced the left side of it from the bottom up and said the word. The poster rolled up like a shutter and the witch reached through the wall behind it like it wasn't even there. Her hand came back out with a device that looked like a cross between an eighties wireless phone and a tricorder.

Sitting on her bed she opened the device and flipped a switch prompting a green light to snap on.

"Cheshire Reporting. Code 4505007RR/9T.

"Cyborg is in the process of Upgrading elements of the Tower. He is currently fixated on a new training course and has not discussed other areas.

"Starfire continues to display behavior inconsistent with her arrival on Earth. Repression of past experiences seems increasingly likely as an explanation.

"Robin is the only potential danger. But his suspicion seems to be routine paranoia, even to him. Tension seems to be building between him and Cyborg. But given the recent encounter with Plasmius, I am not prepared to say that it is weakening the Titan's effectiveness.

"Beast Boy is not a threat. Initial worries seem unfounded," Jinx spoke into the device her eyes glancing to the side at the last bit.

She finished her report in short order and returned the deactivated device to its place behind the image of heroism. Jinx was glad to be done, though she wished it didn't make her want to shower. She laid down on her bed, idly recalling her project, but finding herself ready to put it off.

'I wish I could have Beast Boys simple approach to life,' she thought, not for the first time.

BEAST BOY:

Beast Boy had a feeling it was going to be a good day rolling out of bed. The fact he rolled out of bed so easily was proof of that in his eyes. And how bright and pretty his eyes were today. Crap did he just describe part of himself as pretty? Monster trucks man, monster trucks!

They had even had pancakes for breakfast, including a stack of vegetarian friendly flapjacks. Cyborg was appeasing him so he wouldn't bother him with his construction stuff. Come on how was he supposed to know that thing would explode back then, causing that stuff to happen? It only proved Cy needed to label things better.

The good hits kept on coming with the fat stack of fan mail retrieved from the post box. The ladies just love the green.

Now he sat at his desk going through the mail paper and pen standing by to respond.

"Keep up the good scout work, send me a box of mint chips, Your Favorite Titan Beast Boy," Beast Boy wrote out before folding the letter and setting it aside to be packed and addressed later. He knew the other Titans didn't bother with this stuff, but it never hurt to shore up your pride a bit, and some good PR by giving back the love.

The next letter had him blushing. This one was a keeper he decided grinning. Then the lad felt there was something else in the envelope still.

"Hey there's a picture . . . AHHH!" Beast Boy screamed dropping the photo he had just pulled out like it burned. He leapt back from the desk only to realize he was still holding the letter, he dropped that too.

"Okay . . . that's enough fan mail for now," Beast Boy decided, making a mental note to burn that letter and photo later.

Picking up the photo with a convenient set of tongs he set it aside and pulled out the non fanmail.

He squealed at the brown package, ripping it open to reveal a game container with a badass depiction of the White House dominating it.

"At last. The fiery sequel with improved control, graphics and nonpresidential unlockable characters. *sniff* it's beautiful," Beast Boy teared up. The next letter sobered him up, wiping away the overly dramatic tears with the back of his hand.

It was dressed to him by name, from the Royal Pacific Cruise Sweepstakes. Actually grabbing a letter opener shaped like a tiny lightsaber he opened it and took out a marker. Blacking out certain words or parts of words he rolled his eyes and scowled at the resulting combination of letters.

Replacing the cap on the marker he picked up the letter and stood staring at it. Without a word he crumpled it up and stuffed it in his mouth. A few munches later Beast Boy swallowed it. He had had enough of mail, he wanted some air.

Beast Boy pulled himself from the sea and shifted back from his seal form looking at the dispersing dust cloud with some concern. He hadn't heard any alarms, but maybe he should check to make sure his buddy didn't need assistance?

"Friend Beast Boy," Starfire called out dropping down from the sky to hover a few centimeters from the ground. There were still smears of dirt on her skin so the green titan guessed she had been at the construction site.

"Cyborg need help?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire gave her big I'm anxious but don't want to show it grin while gently grabbing her left arm.

"No, Cyborg is certain he requires no further assistance if he intends to finish close to his schedule," Starfire answered. Beast Boy gave her a sympathetic smile. Cool as Cyborg was he could be a control freak hen when it came to his tech.

The fact none of them but Robin usually knew what he was talking about went clear past Beast Boy.

"Do you wish to do the hanging out?" Starfire asked hopefully. Beast Boy light up, opportunity had come a knocking.

"You bet I do, I need help breaking in my new game. An epic battle between Chief Executives to determine who is the-one-true-President and engage in an epic final showdown with Hitler!" Beast Boy proclaimed. Starfire's smile flickered. Beast Boy face palmed himself. Starfire he had learned early on did not enjoy fighting games or first person shooters; they seemed to freak her out a bit when people exploded in games.

"Listen I am sure we could . . ." Beast Bo tried to salvage to situation. Starfire gave a smile Beast Boy easily recognized as covering unease and shut up.

"It is alright I think I would rather go into the city, Robin will appreciate me doing extra patrols," Starfire stated. Without another word she rose into the sky and shot off across the bay.

"Real smooth Garfield," Beast Boy muttered. He wondered if Jinx was back from those errands she talked about over breakfast. The Goth witch was usually good for some slightly extorted fun, despite the bad attitude.

Beast Boy had fought the Brotherhood of Evil, faced the H.I.V.E. and come up against villains belonging to other infamous organizations or self employed. Yet know he was truly seeing the face of evil, more concerning was that the aforementioned casserole seemed to gaze into him as he gazed into it.

The Titans sat around the dinner table the girls enjoying their meal, while the boys watched it on their plates as if expecting it to attack at any moment.

"I'm a vegetarian remember?" Beast Boy spoke up, not daring to take his eye from the affront to all things culinary before him. Jinx frowned as she swallowed her mouthful, for she was the author of this dinnertime horror.

"What are you talking about, there's no meat in there," Jinx declared a little offended.

"Uh, what exactly is in here?" Cyborg asked cautiously poking the dish with his fork.

"It is most wonderful, friend Jinx you have outdone yourself!" the alien girl piped up as she took seconds.

"Uh, I really need to get my report in order, I'll finish this in the crime lab," Robin announced picking up his plate and beating a hasty retreat.

"But I thought there was no food allowed in the-" Jinx called after him before he vanished through the door.

"Wow would you look at the time, I need to see a man about an engine. Here Star have mine I'll grab some burgers out," Cyborg hastily declared checking a watch he wasn't wearing. Jinx fumed while Starfire cheered, Beast Boy gave Cyborg a 'pity me' look. The older teen shook his head with some sympathy; sadly his lifeboat seated only one. And then there was one, Beast Boy realized.

"I have a thing!" Beast Boy shouted in panic. Jinx glared at him and pointed to his plate. The look clearly said, eat or else. Whimpering he took a drastic action. Robotman once told him when the waters cold the best thing is to just jump in and get it over with. Turning into a hippo he swept the entire serving up on his tongue and swallowed the lot in one bite.

For a moment he saw himself in Heaven. He was running through a beautiful sunny meadow wearing only heart boxers. He was singing and tossing flowers from a basket on his arm. Why didn't Heaven ever have video games and veggie pizza?

Then he was back in the kitchen, looking up at the ceiling from a spot on the floor. It felt like a frat had a party in his mouth, and hadn't cleaned up any of the mess before leaving. Jinx leaned into his line of sight and sneered, he was not looking good if his reflection in her shades was any indication.

"What a drama queen," she remarked. Still she offered him a hand he took it despite this being her fault. Beast Boy would have retorted with something clever and funny, but he had enough to worry about with the sounds his stomach was making.

ROBIN:

The Boy Wonder stood in one of the few shadows cast in the starkly decorated office. It was shadowy, the only light in the large room where the plain lamp which its sole occupant read by and the lights of the cityscape coming in through the Plexiglas wall behind her. He watched the raven haired girl turn over a piece of paper and begin to browse the contents on the backside. He was certain she was only skimming, he could guess why as he stepped into view.

"You certainly are sneaky, but being able to fool my senses counts for little when the floor sensors give the relevant data," Raven Wilson leaned back in her tall chair. Her tone was colored with amusement, her posture relaxing into the cushioned leather of her chair. All of it saying she was not the least bit unnerved about his arrival nor anxious about his presence.

"You assume my goal was to sneak up on you," Robin stated remaining visible, but obscured in the half light much of the office was in.

"If you just wanted to chat I'm sure I could have squeezed you in. Some good press for the PR Department, normally we stay passively under the radar, with the public most people think no news is good news in this business," Raven answered. It was late and she seemed to have relaxed herself before his arrival, her black tie was loosened, the top two buttons on her shirt undone and her usually done up hair let down. He didn't like the fact she was unarguably pretty.

"When your business is supplying people with means of death and destruction, they would be wiser to watch you closely," Robin said, his tone implying he was indeed watching.

"With politics and sausage making it does little for one peace of mind to closely observe either process. Chancellor Bismarck, it applies to war even more so. But I don't need to justify anything to you and you didn't come here to talk about this.

"So why have you snuck into a lovely girl's room in the middle of the night?" Miss Wilson asked him finally leaning forward.

"Robert Cole, the man you recently fired," Robin answered, passing the bait without interest.

"Oh, are you people doing labor relations now? Green Arrow's idea I imagine," the adopted heiress raised an eyebrow.

"You fired him for fencing something you weren't supposed to have," Robin pressed.

"Is that why? Honestly I am a figure head as far as so many departments go, I confess I don't really look into why the heads do some things. I guess this is one of those learning experiences father set me here for," Raven chastised herself sarcasm peaking between the words.

"Xenothium, highly dangerous, highly regulated. Sold by Cole to the underworld figure Professor Chang, who would have sold it to dangerous individuals," Robin stated.

"Really? Well I hope you are wrong and my employees aren't deceiving me with illegal activities; an internal investigation may be in order as an item at the quarter," Raven frowned insincerely. She grinned as Robin glared; they both knew if he had anything for a court he wouldn't be here. Robin once again was reminded of the Roland Dagget, not evil like the Arkham inmates, but this disease worked under the skin, a creeping poison. He turned his attention to one of the few decorations in the room.

"Your new to Jump, be sure to keep your house in order," Robin told her.

"You talk as if you own this city, just the attitude that keeps my father in the black," Raven chuckled leaning back.

"Hideyoshi, I would think Nobunaga the more natural of choice. For a company that proudly wears the name of a war god," Robin commented. Raven glanced to the painting a thin sincere smile on her lips.

"It's not business it's personal. His illustrious career from peasant to de facto ruler of a feudal empire is proof that one can overcome adversity despite a poor starting hand," Raven explained. Robin left the room before she finished speaking.

CYBORG:

Victor Stone, better known as Cyborg liked to think himself as a man with a plan. That was an attitude that had carried over from his life changing encounter with an exploding Fiat. Though whereas before his plans were vague things running on a great deal of assumption and handwavium, nowadays his plans tended to be kept on paper or e-file with varying levels of detail.

Heredity shines through, he supposed, despite bratty stubbornness he showed himself to be his father's son.

Of course like his father's most of those plans ended up gathering dust in the name of budget constraints. Robin held the purse strings for the Titans, and Cyborg for all his bravado was reluctant to drain his own account on his ideas. The T-Car had been an exception and he needed to watch the Lincolns for awhile after the dent that put in him.

So now that his budget from the Boy Wonder was respectably filled up he had to decide what to do out of his small mountain of potential projects.

BB's standing support of a rec-room had merit, but it wouldn't use up the money and constrain what else he could do. Besides he sort of hoped the others would pool their money with his to make that happen.

Jinx had a standing request for a spa, and Cyborg was using that for scrap paper.

His delving into the depths of his own engineering genius had yielded the answer. Not only in budget, but useful enough to keep Robin off his back; and enjoyable to boot.

"This training course will kick ass!" Cyborg declared smacking the blueprint with his free hand. Standing on a rise he looked over the section on the island littered with the materials and equipment that would let him turn it into the newest means of preparing the Teen Titans for the never-ending battle deal. With a little tweaking it could even be used as a component of the security system.

He took a deep breath of the late morning air, stomach full from breakfast, clear skies, and a can do attitude. It was a day to begin.

"Friend Cyborg you are beginning your construction of the field for training?" Starfire asked floating down to his level.

"Bet your ass I am!" Cyborg slipped still n a manly high.

"I would rather not; losing it would make sitting most difficult. Or did you mean the beast of burden?" Starfire apologized slightly confused.

"Uh, say Star you want to help me turn this pile of rocks into the finest elite training course on the West Coast?" Cyborg asked, wanting her not to think about what she had said.

"Oh most verily, I had some training in military engineering on Tamerran," Starfire declared happily.

Later:

The dust cloud started to blow away, revealing the massive sink hole most of the equipment was broken and/or buried in. Cyborg sat on his rear at the edge, staring blankly into space. Starfire floated a little ways off the edge surveying the damage. Smiling nervously she turned to face the still sitting Cyborg.

"The military decided that I was better suited to flight combat specialty," Starfire stated in a way of explanation. Cyborg said nothing. Everything went so wrong so quickly, it was like 'wow' mixed with 'ouch'.

"I will start with the digging out of the equipment," Starfire offered. Cyborg got to his feet dusting himself off.

"Star," Cyborg spoke up calmly.

"Yes friend Cyborg?" Starfire floated closer.

"Maybe you should see if BB is behaving, with Jinx in town who knows what he's getting into?" Cyborg suggested. Starfire's expression slipped but she pulled her cheery expression back into place.

"I shall ensure Beast Boys well being at this moment," Starfire chirped before shooting into the skies. Cyborg wasn't oblivious, and sighed heavily.

"Way to go Victor," he muttered to himself. At the moment all he could do was clean up the mess, so rolling up non existent sleeves he slid down into the crater wall. At least this was a problem he was qualified to solve, he thought.

Haste makes waste, Cyborg thought as he drove into the car port for the race track. Slumping in his seat he pressed a hand to his growling stomach, he'd bugged out on Jinx's unholy feast of mush without grabbing so much as a few dollars or refilling his cred card. He'd installed a refiller in the T-Car but removed it after the theft. So here he was penniless and dying of starvation.

A tap n the glass brought him out of his misery riddled thoughts.

'Who the hell's messing with my- oh,' the Titan thought as he turned to see who tapped. He rolled down the window to be met by an upper body in a familiar jumpsuit. Raven Wilson leaned down and gave one of those sneaky grins.

"You're early Metalman, that's a first. Crime rates actually dropping?" Raven inquired.

"The Titans aren't going out of business anytime soon," Cyborg declared. And was deflated when his stomach loudly growled, he slumped in his seat as the girl's lip twitched in an unmistakable manner. Count on Jinx to embarrass him in front of the ladies, that Jinx was a lady never crossed his mind.

"Call of duty cost you dinner, hero?" the heiress asked leaning on his car.

"Don't ask . . . Say how about we make tonight's race a bit more interesting?" Cyborg asked looking sly as his fingers drummed the steering wheel.

"A wager?" Raven stood back up looking intrigued.

"Yeah if I win you have to treat me to the concession stand. An all you can eat meal what with the billionaire money," Cyborg grinned.

"I would have to be a billionaire, when it comes to eating Beast Boys a vegetarian glutton, the girl Titans have the taste of pregnant women and goats, and you eat restaurants out of their buffets," Raven noted off.

"How did you?" Cyborg sputtered.

"Internet. Besides what do I get?" Raven asked.

"Well what do you want?" Cyborg asked. He wasn't sure what would appeal to someone who could buy most anything they wanted.

"Hmm good question, oh how bout a tour of Titan's Tower?" Raven suggested tapping her chin.

"Say what?" Cyborg went rigid at that. Robin would freak, like go through the roof freak if he brought her to the Tower. As funny as that would be too see it wouldn't be a cool thing to do.

"Well if that doesn't pan out I'll just have to think of something else," Raven shrugged. Cyborg's grin returned.

"Best not think too hard rich girl because you're my meal ticket tonight," Cyborg declared revving his engine. Raven pulled her helmet out from somewhere putting it on.

"Why not put your gear shift where your mouth is?" she asked before closing the visor.

STARFIRE:

Today was not turning out to be a splendorous day after all, Starfire concluded. Jinx had left without her for her 'serious shopping'. As opposed to the girl shopping where Jinx insisted on her company and occasionally Beast Boy as a pack mule. Though strangely he rarely assumed that form on those excursions.

She had only hindered Cyborg causing him to politely but firmly dismiss here. Though she reminded herself it had been her fault, these things tended to be, one reason she was offered as a sacrifice for the war.

Robin was in his crime lab, which meant he was not to be disturbed.

Beast Boy had offered companionship, but there she had refused. So Starfire supposed she had no one to blame but herself for the current lack of friends.

Still she couldn't complain, the sun was shining displaying the Earth's beautiful sky above and raising the spirits of the city below. Also volunteering to patrol would likely please Robin, Starfire thought wistfully.

She flew at a common height with the mid levels of the sky scrapers, enjoying the flight but still keen on detecting any trouble. She noticed a group of office workers at the window of their lounge waving and returned the gesture. The Earth may be having troubled times, but there was still much joy and friendship to be found here.

For someone who had seen war raze entire planets to ash the troubles while worrying were hard to appreciate. The sky was clear and the people went about their business in peace, the joy of flight was easy to find in small things as ****** had taught her.

Then she noticed the man with a gun.

He was wearing a jacket despite the pleasant weather and the cloth masks designed for protecting ones skin from frigid conditions, though in her limited experience they were more often used as makeshift war masks.

Of far greater concern was the handgun he was holding. He was standing in the office of a nearby building his back to the plexiglas as he addressed two office workers, possibly more. Fortunately the gun was held loosely at his side, not actively threatening anyone. Yet, his possession of it without a uniform, attire, and the clear discomfort of the workers made it clear a crime was indeed taking place.

The starbolt broke through the window, weakening it enough for her to burst in already recharged. Stealth was sacrificed to turn his attention completely away from the civilians. It worked in that he whirled, but the sight of her drawn up in the air hands and eyes aglow failed to faze him. That was a surprise, and not the kind that comes with friends and flowers.

Whereas most common criminals, even those familiar with the Teen Titans, hesitated either in awe or surprise at actually being meet by a super hero he reacted with trained reflex firing two shots as much to scatter and distract as to hit. Miss they did, though Starfire felt one nearly skim her ear.

Her fist was sunk into his chest in the next moment, and then he was flying into a hostage. Fortunately she noted the gun dropped on the floor and locked it up. As the masked man cried in pain one of the larger workers grabbed his shoulders pulling him off the coworker and securing him facedown. She saw it was a poor hold, but the weight difference and injury should make it suffice.

"God, I need a doctor!" the masked man cried out.

"That's what you get!" a scrawny man with glasses hurled from his cubicle. Starfire sighed at the sight of the man in pain, and the former hostages hardly being gracious at the role reversal. Momentarily forgetting Earther regulations she twisted the barrel of the pistol rendering it useless. She frowned at that slip as a few of the men in ties stepped up to offer thanks.

"No thank are needed, it is a duty and an honor," Starfire put on her smile. Without further words she left through the window she came in. She didn't bother trying to enjoy the flight, thinking about injuring a man whose weapon posed no lethal danger to her. Her mind kept drifting back to the armor at the back of the closet.

ROBIN:

The Boy Wonder sat in a room locked within Titan Island, even Cyborg ignorant to its existence. He watched Starfire foil a robbery, Beast Boy go through his paces both in training and in garbage, and, in real time, Cyborg continue his vexing relationship with Raven Wilson.

A part of him felt guilty for spying on them, but it was better to be paranoid without reaping than to be trusting and open the door to disaster. Midnight could strike at anytime and she was playing for keeps.

The only blind spot was Jinx's room, making her the potential chink. Her past was mostly blank. A junior League member that had appeared from nowhere and been in jump on leave the day Starfire came to earth bringing a war in her wake. Robin made use of mystery as a weapon like his mentor, and as such had what he believed to be a reasonable fear of the unknown.

Her non existent origins and her room made her the one to watch.

Though he watched them all anyway, even as Starfire drew closer to the potential threat and Beast Boy made friends in his own way. Cyborg's grudge could not be counted upon, after all he had declined increasing the monitors on Jinx's room, had made a joke about Robin perving. Robin was almost sure perving was not a word.

There was nothing he could do about Jinx without tipping his hand and that could all too easily turn his team on him. Starfire despite her experiences in the stars did not seem to grasp that things were deadly serious on this tiny patch of the universe as well.

Was that why he was attracted to her? Because she had unlike him, his mentor and his cowled 'siblings' Starfire had more or less been able to move on unscarred?

All the more reason then, his own motivation was locked in his desk, but it never hurt to have more. He was Robin it was his job to protect, the consequences of failure, for weakness, were the growing pains that shaped him.

Turning his attention from the monitors he rose and moved to a small but well used workstation. Robin picked up the newly crafted mask frowning at the visage. It was not a step to take lightly; it came close to a line he had invested so much of himself in, and brought him closer to those parts of his mentor he had resented so passionately.

He doubted they would understand when they found out. And they would, he was the smartest one but that did not make them fools. But he would accept their anger, and perhaps even hatred; so long as he succeeded and they ere safer, he could accept the loss.

Picking up a sprayer he made the final touch to the mask. Face to face behind masks, it was funny in a way he knew was unhealthy.

RAVEN:

This was going to be unpleasant, Raven thought. She scowled at the tin cup she was holding as if willing the contents to vanish. The shadow that swept over the cup reminded her of why she needed to do this though.

Narrowing her eyes the darkness retracted into her hand and she let out a deep breath.

Slade's apprentice sat alone in a small training room. It was bare and gray save for the tatami mat she was sitting cross-legged on. Minus the helm/mask in the corner she was fully armored.

Still scowling she swirled the contents of the cup glancing at her red eyed reflection in the silvery contents. Its sweet smell burned her nostrils.

"Consecrational cocktail," she muttered her unflattering name for the confection. She supposed it was better than the alternative, but being medicated was a blow to her pride.

With a final scowl she swiftly brought the vessel to her lips and gulped down the mixture. Singe the tongue, burn the throat, then it hits the stomach, she thought as the symptoms played out. Her eyes dimmed back to normal as the veins in her cheeks turned black.

As ever she fought remain conscious as black foam forced its way through clenched teeth and her brow grew moist. She hated the relief she felt as that battle was lost and she collapsed on the matt twitching.

When she awakened it would be a simply matter of cleaning herself up, the demonic half of her hybrid body properly chastised. Until next time, a nagging voice whispered as sweet darkness enveloped her senses.

_LATER:_

Raven warily looked to her opponent meeting her eyes as she peeked over the top of the cover. This was the moment that would either rescue her from defeat, or seal that defeat. How oh how had it come to this? Even now the turn of events left her perplexed. Even her miscalculations with the Titans failed to touch this string of errors. Unlike those, her seeming defeats did not work toward a hidden masterstroke. She was well and truly 'on the ropes.'

Purple eyes narrowed as they met a detached matching gaze. They each made their move simultaneously.

"Full House, I win," the Midnight Reploid declared flatly reading the cards laid out on the table. Raven planted her face on the folding table as the droid collected the last of her chips. How do you lose at cards to a robot designed to imitate you? Perhaps the problem was the robot wearing a mask while she wasn't?

While Unit 3 was the spitting image of the criminal Midnight, Raven was sans her armor, wearing a mechanics jumpsuit with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, a smudge of grease on her cheek even. They both sat at a simple fold out table on the edge of the bases motor pool, which more recently was being used to make her customized robots.

"None of the others give me this kind of trouble," Raven muttered as Unit 3 expertly shuffled the deck adding some flair more suited to a magician. It was true enough, while the other robots made in her image were a definite cut above the standard issue, they were automatons and easily trumped by the original. Thankfully in the single spar with Unit 3 Raven was still the victor, but . . .

"I am the only one you kissed after completing," Unit 3 pointed out. Raven blushed a bit at being called out on that.

"A bit of narcissistic whimsy doesn't account for your AI achieving sentience," Raven griped as she was dealt a new hand. Another sign she had put off the toxification too long, erratic behavior. At least this time the outcome was relatively tame; her father hadn't needed to stab anything.

_It had all started innocently enough._

_The plasma had light flared in the visor on the mask, receding to allow the darkened glass to reflect the armored figure lying on the table. Midnight in all her glory seemingly slept under the bare fluorescents on the steel table. Though the cooling metal line on her stomach indicated something was awry._

_The mask was pushed up revealing Raven's face, a gloved hand wiping sweat from her brow. She smiled pulling off her gloves as the metal cooled letting the illusion set in._

_"I look good," Raven commented looking over her newly minted reploid. Her father made use of such thing s to keep his activities a script, alibis and all to keep anyone from suspecting he was up to something more than elite mercenary work. _

_That could work for her, but she had other idea. Ones that involved messing with the Titans heads keep your enemy off-balance, ad emotionally invested and the advantage will always be yours if you have the wit seize it. Raven was certain her father would approve of the tactic._

_Here and now though she was impressed by her creation, now that she what she wanted down she could have machines make more, but this; she was getting a tingle like from completing the Blackbird. It had taken three tries to get it right after all. Just like then she ran her hands down the graceful curves, not fully noticing the subjective difference of the gesture. _

_Her hands inspected the false flesh of the lower face, the only face since the mask was concealing no face. It felt real enough with texture, but not warm enough, probably lacking some other subtle details she wasn't thinking of too. Pulling back the lips a finger an over the teeth, dry of course. This was creepy, and . . ._

_Her thoughts trailed off swaying a moment on her feet blinking as her pupils reddened. Feeling the softness of the lips between her fingers she grinned and leaned don pressing her warm lips to the lukewarm twins. Her eyes closed enjoying the moment a feeling akin to static shock pressing her lips, then her eyes shot open, normal again._

_"What the!" she snapped back upright in surprise. _

_"Well that takes me up a notch on the creepy factor," she grumbled, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Last she checked she was heterosexual, going over some mental images and reactions seemed to confirm this._

_"Oh god, am I narcissist?" Raven murmured. Historically the most pathetic villains were narcissistic. What would her father think if he knew she fantasized about making out with herself?_

_Dejected and hoping against hope Slade didn't have her under surveillance she departed deciding to blame this on the failure to take her medicine on schedule. Perhaps had she stayed to monitor the robot she could have gained some understanding of that kiss and its results._

But for now there was pressing business to occupy her attention.

"You are my creator and life giver, which should makes my loyalty to you natural, aside from the obedience protcols and self destruct fail safe," Unit 3 assured her.

"Yeah, but you have to admit there is a lot of precedence for robot revolts against their creators," Raven pointed out.

'Golem would be more accurate,' Unit 3 thought, having surfed the net earlier.

"Care to make it more interesting?" Unit 3 asked.

"What does a robot want?" Raven asked. She was genuinely curious. Shock aside it was novel to have someone around that was not her superior or a contractor.

"I would prefer an actual face under this mask, instead of just a telescreen and a pair of optics," Unit 3 suggested.

Raven frowned at the request. She thought the set up was quite effective. In fact she was planning to have a wireless camera preserve the expression of the Titan who unmasked the unfortunate droid. There was space on the base fridge reserved for that piece of candid camera work.

"Good answer, but since I know the face you want is mine, no. It would be unwise to leave my face lying around for some C list hero to uncover. How about an actual name instead?" Raven asked. Unit 3 didn't answer as she divided the chips into even piles and picked up her cards. She looked back up to Raven.

"And if you win?" Unit 3 asked flatly. The golem rolled her eyes for the first time at the answer she received.

Raven failed to note that as someone else finally decided to make their presence felt.

"Razor?" Raven asked as her pet nuzzled her leg. The feral Meta turned her face up to its mistress, an established signal for begging. Raven wondered if the lack of eyes was actually a good thing, as creepy as the situation might be receiving the sad puppy eyes from the likes of Razor could possibly unnerve even her.

"I guess I have been spending a lot of time on my tech and planning lately. Okay girl we'll spar some," Raven assured her pet. She laid down her cards and stroked Razor under the chin eliciting a purr from the metallic girl. If the metal girl seated opposite her was put off by the display, she gave no signs of it.

"Head to the arena while I get my armor," Raven told Razor who loped off as Raven stood. She noticed Unit 3 was still sitting in place, only her eyes moving.

"Care to watch?" Raven inquired. After a moments hesitation Unit 3 nodded her assent and rose. The original wondered what her father would have to say about this turn of events. Hopefully he would take to the development well; after all it might be nice to have another girl around, Raven thought. But if didn't, well she could always build more.

**Author's Note:** Well this chapter certainly was tougher than expected. It wasn't even the writing that was the greatest obstacle, RL, mine and others, just seemed to always keep it from being clenched and made things take longer than they needed too. And there was my failed attempts to jumpstart Queen of All oni, which by the way is moving along again, at this point I am certain I will never try o write that farmer again.

Well hope this chapter was fun for you, next chapter 'Deception'.


	11. Fear

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Teen Titans. If I did this would at least be an Elseworld four-parter that appeared in the series. Well, probably not, but copyright laws can't keep a man from dreaming, eh?_

_Betaed by:_ Zim'smosyloyalservant

* * *

**Fear**

A young Raven kicked at the steel target, holding her stance, striking it in the same dent she had created. It rang hollow, like a sick bell, with each strike from her steel encased foot. Sweat ran down her brow and her hair shifted in drenched clumps as she went through the motion.

"Enough," Slade declared. She stopped in mid-strike and shakily pulled her leg back to stand. She stood in the training room, trying not to show her fatigue. She had not known he was there until he spoke, but she had long grown accustomed to these sudden appearances. He could always be watching, him or Wintergreen, if not in person then through their machines.

Which meant she had to be at her best always. No one had ordered her to be paranoid in this, but she thought Slade was pleased that she had picked it up.

"Well done, you are finally achieving acceptable forms with the attachments. Once you have mastered this, we will increase the armor on your legs," he told her plainly. She smiled at the praise; he allowed her such expressions. Before he was done, she would be as agile and deadly encased in armor as she was without.

"Sit," he commanded. She sat, but not cross-legged; she was ready to spring back to her feet at a moment's notice.

"I have a lesson for you, a very old one. The Sword of Damocles:

"It's said that when Dionysus II ruled Syracuse as King there was a courtier named Damocles, a sycophant whose days were spent fawning over the King and begging him for favor and advancement. In time the King grew weary of the pest and offered him a deal – they would switch positions for one day with Damocles being King.

"Damocles eagerly accepted and come morning he was given the kingly garments and sat upon the throne with all having to kneel before and serve him. Yet in midst of reveling in his elevation he found himself increasingly uneasy.

"Searching for the source of his discomfort he was horrified to discover a heavy sword hanging above the throne by a thin thread, over his head. He called the King from the gallery and demanded an explanation for the sword.

"To be empowered is to be imperiled, the King told him. The sword is the symbol of all the danger and calamity that ever threatens to overtake a king and his kingdom. The sword might hang up there for days harmlessly, or it could fall in a minute.

"Before the day was half done, Damocles fled the throne in terror and kept going out of the palace, never to be seen again," Slade told the attentive girl. He asked no question, but she knew he was awaiting an answer without him having to ask it.

"I would stand on the throne and take the sword, and use it to threaten them," she answered.

"A difficult task," Slade commented without disapproval. And why would he – she understood fear was the tool of those strong enough to use it. A ruler should not live in fear of peril; those who would imperil him should live in fear of him.

"Again," he commanded. Raven rose with a small smile and resumed her training, now with the other foot making the makeshift bell sound.

_Titans Tower, Present Day:_

"No," Robin answered flatly, not looking up from his microscope.

Jinx huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the Boy Wonder's back. She had her shades pushed back onto her forehead, the better to see in Robin's increasingly unnerving crime lab.

'Push on,' she urged herself, 'If he was that bad he wouldn't have left the door unlocked.'

"You've gotta; it's a group costume, it doesn't work without the complete set," Jinx whined.

"You should have thought of that before, or asked in advance," Robin deadpanned.

"If I asked in advance I couldn't guilt you into going with the costumes already made, now could I?" Jinx humphed, putting her hands on her hips. Robin looked up from his work to see if the witch was actually serious in her backwards logic.

"Why do you even want to go to a costume party? We wear costumes all the time," Robin inquired.

"Oh please, these things are personalized uniforms to the extreme. This is a League and affiliates costume party, with prizes and the works, it'll be fun," Jinx insisted.

"It's frivolous, we can't leave the city unprotected," Robin insisted. His eyes traveled over the newspaper clippings, picking out the crimes he had connected to Midnight, though her name appeared on no headlines.

"We won't be leaving it unguarded. Superman wants to reward people with some R&R and social time, other Leaguers will just pick up the lack for a few hours. Robotman already volunteered to cover for us, and he's an old vet.

"Besides, we need the break from the stress," Jinx shrugged. Robin looked at the witch with disbelief.

"Jinx, you and Beast Boy do the least work of anyone here," Robin stated. Jinx looked around at the badly lit and unhealthy looking room; yeah, she was talking about herself here. If Starfire was worried about him, she was no fun. The alien was as of yet oblivious, but Jinx knew a little bit about this kind of thing.

"Listen, either you agree or you get bad luck, I didn't rework those costumes and figure out your all's measurements just to get thwarted by logic," Jinx told him.

Robin repressed a sigh. At times like this he knew why so many heroes preferred to work alone. He wouldn't trade the team, but they certainly came with a lot of nonsense. Did he ever give Batman this kind of grief?

Still, the bad luck witch had it in her to make it impossible for him to do anything while not technically breaking any rules. And odds were even she could get Beast Boy's help in that. He needed a countermeasure…

Glancing to the corner of the room he caught a sight that revealed the solution. Someday he would have to thank the old obsessive for the problem solving training… someday.

"Did you ever get your flight problem fixed?" Robin asked, crossing his own arms. The slump and brush of fingers under her missing eye gave him the answer. It was the perfect distraction, one that also addressed a legitimate issue for the team.

'Score,' he grinned to himself. She was her usually lazy self despite the whining.

"Quid pro quo; you get your personal mobility resolved, and I'll think about it," Robin offered, smiling finally.

"Deal. Wait, did you say 'think'?" Jinx grinned, before her eye and tone sharpened. Robin ignored the question, turning back to his evidence. Jinx frowned, but after a moment regained her catty grin.

"Alright, Mr. Rogers, just try and get out of this when this witch gets her wings," Jinx taunted, before pulling an about face. Pulling her shades back down, the door slid open and she left Robin alone with his clues and evidence.

_Later:_

"Broom?" Beast Boy offered Jinx said cleaning tool.

"No way," Jinx answered. They were standing in the main room, having it to themselves for the moment, a small cauldron resting on the table, green vapor rising thinly from its depths.

"I'll take the classics over clichés," Jinx answered. Leaning down, she put a pair of solid but passably fashionable lady's boots on the table. Producing a brush, she dipped it in her potion and began to carefully coat the footwear, chanting the spells under her breath.

Once the task was finished and the potion dried, she strapped the boots on. Wiggling her feet around with them on for a feel, she got a thumbs-up from Beast Boy.

"Alright, here goes," Jinx breathed out, standing on her tip ties. She shot up like a shot, into the ceiling.

"Down," she commanded from her spot plastered on the ceiling. The shoes obeyed, slamming her into the floor with equal zest.

Anyone watching would have seen the bizarre sight of a pair of boots being thrown out Titans Tower, only to zip away in mid fall.

**X X X**

"Broom?" Beast Boy asked again.

"I have not even begun to accessorize," Jinx answered. The purple cape she wore glistened with the fresh varnish. The door slid open to admit Starfire, who was pleased to see two of her friends, but noticed something different.

"Friend Jinx, you have changed your attire?" Starfire asked from her place behind the Lolita Titan.

"More than that," Jinx grinned. She struck the Superman pose for flight, and the cape hurtled back, taking the back of her outfit with it and pasting Starfire to the wall. Jinx blushed and slapped Beast Boy across the face, while Starfire ripped herself free from the enchanted cloth.

**X X X**

The three Titans stood on top of Titans Tower as Jinx put the finishing touches on her new idea. The sun was shining down on this clear blue day, seemingly oblivious to the fierce struggle taking place below.

"Broom?" Beast Boy reiterated, innocently holding out the same cleaning tool.

"You wish her to clean up?" Starfire asked, a bit confused by the non sequitur.

"Who needs that when we have the Arabian option?" Jinx shot back. It was hardly Aladdin's carpet, it was mostly chartreuse, but it was big enough to hold her and some extra stuff while being small enough that she could expect maneuvering to be easy in the future.

Seating herself firmly down in the center of the carpet, Jinx put a hand on the seat in front of her and let out a breath. The carpet rose an arm's length off the Tower roof.

"Yes!" Jinx cheered. Starfire echoed her sentiment as Jinx, tugging on the front edge, guided the carpet off the rooftop and into the air. She saw Beast Boy give the thumbs up and did some very basic maneuvers, moving away from the tower to avoid possible collision.

"Jinx!" she heard Beast Boy shout. Looking back she realized she was nearly half the level of the somewhat distant Tower. She pulled on the carpet but it wasn't gaining any height, only losing altitude. Trying to urge it back to the island faster, Jinx could only scowl when it briefly skimmed the surface and then sank, leaving her treading water in the bay.

She grumbled various curses into the salt water as Starfire flew to retrieve the drenched Titan.

**X X X**

"A toboggan?" Beast Boy asked, still holding the broom.

"What? It's sturdier than the carpet, and it's more than personal transport – think of the logistics," Jinx told him. She didn't look too convinced herself, looking over the newly varnished wood with him as Starfire inspected the Earth artifact.

"Why do you hate the broom?" Beast Boy asked.

"I am not some green wart-ridden hag," Jinx answered, settling down on the toboggan.

"Hey, what's wrong with being green, gray girl?" Beast Boy grumbled.

**X X X**

The three Titans fled down a hallway, an animated bed snapping at their heels, parting its mattress to reveal springs for teeth. Beast Boy, morphing into a deer, bolted ahead, changing back to slam a door shut behind the girls when they went through.

He let out a sigh of relief, only to be seized by the shoulders as an irate Jinx started shaking him.

"Enchant the bed? ! What kind of idea was that? Even if it worked what was I supposed to do, swoop down in my pajamas? The villains suppose to laugh themselves into submission?" Jinx demanded, shaking the green boy. Amidst the dizziness, the changeling visualized himself in generic superhero attire defeating poorly rendered versions of the HIVE trio with standard comic props.

He had to admit, the idea had potential.

"Wait a minute!" Beast Boy shouted. Jinx stopped to quirk an eyebrow at him, only for the green boy to plant a finger on the bridge of her glasses. Starfire watched the whole thing, not noticing the door behind her slide open until a long tongue of blankets ensnared her and pulled her into a surprisingly comfortable maw.

"That wasn't my idea," Beast Boy announced solemnly.

"Well it sure wasn't my idea," Jinx shot back. They both seemed oblivious to the monster chewing nearby.

"Well don't look at me; at least it didn't explode like the toboggan," Beast Boy told her. Frowning, she let him go; meanwhile, a green glow started to spread through the bed monster.

"Starfire was that your… Starfire?" Jinx asked, noticing for the first time her friend was not standing nearby. The beast exploded in a green flash, leaving two Titans standing surprised and coated in feathers, while Starfire let out a long breath, kneeling in the sole clear spot in the corridor.

Cyborg walked down the hall whistling, the note slipping as he took note of the state of it.

"I'm not cleaning this up," he said to one of the feather-coated shapes. He kept walking.

"Broom?" Beast Boy asked, somehow producing it to hold out with his feather coated hand.

_That night:_

"Stupid flight, how hard can it be to defy the laws of physics? Everybody does it," Jinx grumbled. She sat at her vanity combing her hair, and checking it for any final feathers. A fine waste of a day, she thought sullenly.

She looked different with her hair down and her shades off – add in the relatively normal dark blue nightgown and she could pass for some kind of civilian.

'As if,' she thought, running a finger over her eye patch.

"Well, time to hit the hay; I'm not letting Robin have his way this time," Jinx told herself. Turning off her lamp, the room was cast in darkness. With the ease of routine, she made her way to her bed and lost herself in its comfort.

Sleep was a long time in coming, thoughts of parties, reports, and old days playing through her head in a broken rhythm.

_Bay Shore, Jump City:_

The Amazing Mumbo laughed maniacally as he finished the chalk drawing on the beach sands. The oversized pencil he had used was tossed over his shoulder and vanished in a poof. He gave the simple but powerful design a glance over before prancing over to snatch up his prize. A sane part of the blue magician knew he should be more careful – in fact, it said this whole plot was a bad idea.

The impulse dominated personality his magic brought out would agree that it was not his usual style, but the Titans deserved a little something special for gate-crashing his performances so often. That was rude enough, but they actually had the audacity to stage crash on top of that.

True, unscripted developments were the pride of the stage, not like the pretenders on screen separating themselves from the audience. But, frankly, they were upstaging him, and that was one thing even he couldn't just laugh off as show biz.

Didn't they realize he, The Amazing Mumbo, was the star, not a bunch of teenage knock-offs of actual famous people?

No, a stern lesson was in order, possibly the last lesson they would learn. Oh well, knocking them dead was a tried and true tradition of the theater.

Whatever; the curtain was rising, on with the show!

He placed the silver cylinder in the middle of the design, and with a flourish dropped a red kerchief on it.

"And now for the opening act! Open sesame!" Mumbo cried out, pointing his wand at the covered cylinder. The array flared into red life, energy crackling in its wake. An unearthly howl rose from beneath the kerchief before an unnatural darkness descended on the scene. It held only a moment before fading back to a proper night.

Mumbo laughed so hard at the display of power his bottom jaw nearly came loose. In one oversized step, he stood over the covered cylinder and bowed creepily to an audience that existed only in his mind.

"And now for the night's headline event, the destruction of the Teen Titans! Allow me to introduce my assistant for the evening," he announced, stooping down and dramatically tossing the kerchief aside.

"The incomprehensible- GAGH!" Mumbo called out in his stage voice, before a green tentacle seized his neck in a chokehold. Bringing his wand to bear on the creature, several eyes narrowed and with a seemingly idle effort, the tentacle tossed him aside, sending him some distance into the bay.

The liberated prisoner howled into the night, glorying in its freedom. Fortunately, its liberator was too weak to bind it; once more it was free to wander unsupervised by mortal concerns. However, it was still rooted to the spot.

The answer passed slowly through what passed for its mind; despite its liberator's inadequacy, laws of magic bound it to fulfill one task for him in payment. And he had already requested something of it.

The eyes already looking out over the water narrowed, focusing on the tower shining like a beacon in the night. The prey it was assigned was near. All of its mouths grinned; the task it was set would be enjoyable.

It had been such a long time since it had fed properly.

Sitting atop a too small rowboat making his way to shore, Mumbo Jumbo watched his treacherous assistant glide over the water towards the tower. He frowned, before resuming his rowing.

"It just never fails; you be a nice guy and give a new kid a hand up in the trade, and they turn around and stab you in the back to steal the spotlight. Next assistant I get is a rabbit, you can pay them in carrots," the mad man muttered to himself as the waves carried him to shore, aided by the tiny oars.

_?:_

Jinx's eye snapped open and she almost cried out in pain. Her socket was overflowing with sharp red throbs. She didn't know where the color came from but it somehow fit. The hand not propping her up went to her patch, only to not find it. Her hand pulled back as pain lanced from the soggy mass.

In place of a proper patch a blood stained wad of paper towels was duck-taped over her ruined eye, which partially explained the smell.

The price for her failed audition. The boss had no interest holding onto freaks, he wanted to pass her on to some villain or other for money. She was an investment that went sour on him; not only money lost, but now his cred as a fixer for those shopping for Meta muscle was damaged.

Jinx groaned, pulling herself to a sitting position on the lumpy couch. The dream still stood vivid, confusing her. Robin and other superheroes, herself as a super hero? Such whimsy faded as the crap of reality bled back in. She spotted the whiskey bottle lying empty on the floor, the source of her headache – in addition to the gouged out eye, of course.

The boss's idea of painkiller, just like the first aid. It didn't smell like blood, worse… was it infected? Probably – this squat tenement was a sty and she had freaking paper towels in her head soaked with blood.

Jinx frowned; those losers didn't even leave her any hair of the dog that bit her. She got up, her joints screaming, everything aching or hurting – she could even feel her teeth. Tongue was swelled too; she needed water, all the more reason to get up.

She held the oversized jacket resting on her shoulders in place; it looked like crap, but it gave warmth. And she didn't feel like bending down to get anything right now.

Ugh, this placed smelled like a hippy's porta john. Maybe they would give her some alcohol to pour in her eye – that was supposed to kill infection, she recalled from somewhere.

She reached the boss's room, the only area somewhat clean. He was playing video games like usual, old school ones. He wasn't alone; good, they were slightly less dangerous together, oddly enough. It never failed to strike her as bizarre that such a big, scary looking man was playing such juvenile looking games in such a grim setting. It was like something from one of those creepy comics the other Goth had liked so much. She hadn't liked those any more than she liked that jerk, she recalled.

_Shortly:_

Jinx pulled herself up the last bit of the fire escape. She didn't so much slip on the gravel as her legs gave out. She fell forward and pain lanced through her body anew. She absurdly found herself wondering if she could still cry from the other side.

She was exhausted and in agony; the orphan wanted to just curl up here on these little rocks and…

And what? There was nothing, nothing. No getting better and no returning, as if there was a place to return to.

A nagging voice said she should have stayed at the orphanage – at least things rarely got physical there. But that was stupid.

She had wanted something better and the streets seemed the only place to get it. Waiting to be kicked out with recommendation to some minimal wage job seemed a fast track to nowhere. She was too much of an ambitious bitch to have ever stood in line for such a poor prize; she would always have taken the gamble for something better.

Then again, look where the streets had got her.

Turned out she didn't have what it took for a gang, doing onto others before they could do onto her and all that. The boss had been so mad he taught her the lesson and gave her whiskey and paper towels to keep it from being the last lesson. Though from the way she was feeling, that was as much too little as it sounded like.

No, she didn't have that kind of luck, she always pulled through, to her misfortune. She heard them – she was damaged goods, but she still had an exotic look to her. She was going to be sold, trafficked, to let the gang recoup their money. She doubted a supervillain group was what they had in mind.

No way – the world had taken everything else and given nothing good back, she wouldn't let it have that too!

Which was why she had run up here. Enough was enough; she couldn't escape and she wasn't going to face what was to come.

She wanted an end, and that never say die attitude was nowhere in sight.

Soon though, they would be looking. If they found her first it would be slavery on her back; time to get moving. Only one more effort, then she could stop for good.

Somehow she made it to the ledge, not stepping onto it, bracing herself forward against it, her head spinning. By all rights she should just power on ahead, but it seemed like she should have something resembling clarity before the plunge.

Strange though – she felt as if she had been here before. Hopefully that wasn't reincarnation; it would really suck if she had died like this before.

Oh yeah, the dream, in it someone saved her. She frowned, the words seeming to jingle in her head, easing the pain a moment. But the moment passed and nausea wracked her body.

Only a dream, a ridiculous fantasy, she had no luck but bad. Everyone called her the Jinx; she couldn't even remember her real name and was afraid to ask the adults. Suddenly that seemed important, but she knew it wasn't.

Her life was a bad egg from the start. No family to care, no friends, and no one to diminish the loneliness. Only pain and isolation.

It should be easy, her mind insisted, pulling herself unto the ledge, she broke no ties and there was nothing to miss.

Yet… the dream…

It loomed large in her mind, fragments and bits. A life cast in color where she had been given a purpose and actually felt conflicted, torn between that purpose and those others. Friends, or just enemies she had been deceiving?

No, only a dream, a desperate escape for her mind. Survival, likely, an attempt by some primal part of her mind to derail self-destruction. It could work too; she stood at the edge, best take the step now.

TAKE THE PLUNGE, WHAT DID LIFE EVER DO FOR YOU?

She raised one foot over the void, the city below seeming to fall away, leaving darkness in its wake.

But… she dreamed of happiness. How could she dream of what she had never known? In the void, many mouths opened to squall their impatience; Jinx frowned on the edge.

It hadn't been perfect, it had even been something of a nightmare, caught between gratitude and the closest thing she had to friendship.

Jinx reached up and plucked her shades out of the air, seeing her reflection in the darkened glass.

"It wasn't a dream, this is," Jinx realized. The beast below howled in rage as the witch sprang back away from the edge. No longer garbed in rags and leavings she stood tall, her empty socket covered by her patch.

"Bastard, you'll pay for this," Jinx promised as green tentacles surged over the edge. Snapping the shades in half, each burst into a sphere of light in her hands.

Thrusting her hands over her head, she unleashed the energy upward, where the beams struck the sky, and shattered it.

The tentacle holding Jinx aloft over her bed burst into flame, dropping its prey onto the mattress. The witch was awake before she hit the bed, hands raised in readiness, watching the smoldering stump retreat through the wall.

She let out a long weary sigh; that was a trip she was not going to repeat. Good thing she was smart enough to see through that thing's trick…

"Beast Boy!" she exclaimed, realization hitting her.

**X X X**

The tower was crawling with tentacles; she might have mistaken them for vines, but there was something disgustingly anal about them. No, more like a disease than an animal. They withdrew reluctantly from her path as she ran; she had conquered only a part, what was at the center could still hurt her, she thought.

They did make a stand, coating the wall covering Beast Boy's door. Skidding to a halt, she raised her hands and blasted them into calamari. The door fell under the blast and she strode through – she immediately saw him there, dangling as she no doubt had, twitching in the midst of horror.

_Jump City, Harbor District:_

"So, these chips, they are important, si?" Guerra asked her.

She stood facing the mercenary in one of the warehouses that Jump's criminal element used for business of this sort. She didn't require anything special for this.

"Yes, I need them intact; your part will be twofold. First, the chip at the ARES lab, then as a diversion during the second heist," Midnight told him.

"Senor Cyborg?" he asked, grinning at the thought of his newest rival.

"I prefer him alive, for the moment. Kill him if you must, but it will be docked from your pay. But don't let your personal goals compromise the mission," Midnight informed him coldly.

"But of course, contract must take precedent over pleasure. I think that's you," Guerra answered, before a beeping interrupted. Midnight frowned, pulling a compact communicator from her cloak.

"What is it, Ai?" she demanded. Guerra made note of the name, and the symbol on the communicator.

"I see. Well, we can't have that. I'm on my way.

"Sorry, senor, we'll have to conclude the details some other time," Midnight inclined her head, before walking away to be swallowed by the shadows of the poorly lit building.

"Wireless generation, such poor manners," Guerra shook his head. Laughing at his own humor he took his own leave.

**X X X**

The Beast roared in sorrow and hunger. From what he glanced of himself he resembled a badass Sasquatch, but that wasn't what it was. This was his true form, the true other side of the coin from the near human form he had tried to pass off as a true face.

The blood that had run down his maw had dried. But the smell was still hot on his breath. Despite the horror, he looked out on the desolation in his wake and felt pride creeping in.

The Beast was loose, and what remained of the human Garfield withered in its wake. What could he raise against the primal fury of the ultimate survivor in Darwin's dream? The ultimate predator created from his power?

All his precautions had failed, everything to keep the darker side of the animal at bay. The predator, the stalker that sees the weaker as only prey. He had wanted to be an herbivore, safe to be with others, but the furious hunter now stood supreme; Garfield Logan was just the first of its conquests as it howled to a rising moon.

"Beast Boy, you remember the promise I made," a precise clipped voice spoke through the ruins. It brought the human back as Mento stepped into sight, scowling. He was in his glory here, not the man who had vanished with blood on his hands into the shadow of society; this was the dauntless leader of the Doom Patrol.

Yes, he remembered, that if he ever became a true threat his mentor would deal with him like any other threat. Hunching on his hands, he waited for the final blow to fall; it was for the best.

"What the hell, hero? !" a girl shouted. Confused, the Beast's head popped up. Jinx, she was standing between him and Mento, arms spread in an unmistakable gesture of protection.

"Raaagh!" he cried out in lieu of the 'no' he meant. She would take the attack meant for him, and it would kill her. Surging forward, he smacked her aside, taking the blast to his chest.

"You idiot!" Jinx screamed as he fell to his knees. She grabbed one of his massive shoulders, keeping him from falling.

"This is what you're afraid of? You, a monster? Please, you're the biggest dork I know. But letting yourself be put down like some rabid dog, that's stupid even for you," Jinx hissed. Mento frowned deeper, unmoving. The Beast pointed to the desolation to make her understand.

"Oh, well then why save me? And for that matter, would the Titans let this happen so this old loser would be the one to take care of it? You're our problem now, not his," Jinx insisted. The eyes widened as pupils appeared in them, green and large.

She must have said something right, as Mento dissolved into dust, leaving only his helmet. The sky shattered like a window struck with a brick.

**X X X**

Cyborg struggled against the restraints – they had locked him down ala Frankenstein, and he was feeling sympathy for the big green guy at the moment.

"Whoever you are, kidnapping me was a big mistake!" the oldest Titan threatened the darkness. Distant ceiling lights turned on with a clang, not enough to reveal the room fully, but enough to see it was a lab of some kind.

"Kidnapping, we have done no such thing," a long, nasally voice answered. A scientist loomed over him, apparently the speaker, an ugly pale specimen with no hair and a large nose. Another leaned in, the same, only weird ass hair in place of the nose.

"Kidnapping is a crime, and our boss runs a legal operation," the new arrival spoke with that same voice. The scientists towered over the bound Titan, lights catching on their glasses, turning them into eyeless panels.

"What's legal about this?" Cyborg demanded, straining against his restraints.

"Dangerous equipment, safety and all," Baldy trilled.

"Equipment!" Cyborg bellowed at the implication. One of them lowered an official looking document, obscuring his vision with the print.

"Yeeees. The lawyers have it all wrapped up nice and pretty. The Cyborg frame was developed by this company; your father may have made it but it belongs to us. Dr. Jackson stole it for your operation, but that doesn't change anything.

"You belong to the company, and it's high time a return for this investment was in order!" Crazy Hair giggled, looking like a kid in a candy store.

Cyborg was left stunned in shock when they withdrew from his line of sight. This couldn't be happening! The sound of power tools running at top watt brought him back, eyes widening as the two returned holding a nasty looking drill and a circular saw, respectively.

"But before we talk mass production, you are long overdue for an upgrade," said Baldy.

"Yes, all those frivolous meaty bits, we'll have you fixed up in a jiffy!" Crazy Hair exclaimed, lowering his tool.

**X X X**

The door to Cyborg's room slid open, letting the two freed Titans dash in. Jinx was still in her nightgown, while Beast Boy was a tiger carrying her. She hopped off, assessing the situation as Beast Boy changed back.

Cyborg wasn't being held up like she and Beast Boy had; instead, the tentacle was stroking the few exposed organic parts of him. Somehow their actions made her stomach wrench a bit more than the sight of Beast Boy had. It seemed like a mockery of an affectionate gesture, as opposed to the naked predator actions from earlier.

The tentacles came from a dark corner, crossing the room in a low arc to reach Cyborg. Jinx tried to guess where the source was, but dismissed it in favor of the problem at hand. Still, when she glimpsed it when Beast Boy broke free, all those mouths…

"That ain't right," Beast Boy remarked, off-put. And that was coming from a guy who had tentacle experience, using the tentacles.

"I think it's getting weaker, but it will start fighting harder. From what I felt of it, this thing is hungry, so it's more interested in feeding on him than getting us," Jinx told him. She walked up to where Cyborg lay back, twitching clearly in the grip of his fears.

"Till we start messing with the meal plan," Beast Boy guessed. He was not his perky self at the moment – even he took a bit to bounce back from facing his worst nightmares like that. No, he could cover that if he wanted; what made him raw was seeing his friend going through it and knowing Jinx had to get out on her own.

"So let's cut him loose," Beast Boy declared, before Jinx whirled and grabbed him before he could do a thing.

"No! The tentacles are just half of it! It's in his mind and preying on his soul, we need to get it out of there before even thinking of messing with them," Jinx told him hastily.

"So, how can I help?" Beast Boy asked. He owed this jerk once for himself and four times besides.

Jinx held out her hand, which despite the situation surprised him. He took it hesitantly and she reached up with her free hand towards the thickest tentacle overhead.

"Brace yourself, this is going to be nasty," Jinx warned, watching the tentacle twitch just out of her reach. Beast Boy nodded, and she brushed the slimy appendage with her fingertips.

**X X X**

Cyborg – no, he supposed Robot was more fitting at this point – stood on a rise that had once been a skyscraper, his optics sweeping the burning city for further targets. He did not know whether to despair or be relieved at only finding the copies rampaging below.

There was nothing he could do; he was imprisoned within the metal shell of himself. He wondered if his continued impotent self-awareness was intentional on their part, or just a sadistic twist of fate.

Victor Stone raged in silence within his head as his body detected a lifeform and moved to destroy.

There had to be something…

And there was. One command was still responsive. The most encrypted piece of his software had somehow not been guarded against him – the self-destruct protocol.

Why not? Hadn't he vowed to die before becoming another machine of destruction? It was his father's nightmare as well; the good doctor had lost his career trying to keep his intentions from being used for war. Cyborg liked to think his father would approve of his own use of them…

Irrelevant, he could end this now. Even take the copies with him.

Speak of the devil; two of them emerged from the smoke filling the air, barring his path through the devastation.

This was strange – they were nothing if not efficient, Cyborg thought as the self-destruct countdown began.

"Stop, Cyborg," one commanded in a digitized voice. The robot stopped in his tracks, shocked at the latest audacity from the freaks in white coats. It was a poor imitation, but it was still clearly meant to be Beast Boy.

"Don't let him self-destruct," the other stated in a sure robotic monotone.

That was it; they were onto him. If they put him offline he couldn't take the copies down with him.

Only moments ago he would have welcomed being offed, but he would not willingly leave behind this horde of murder machines made in his image.

He had long seen a good offense as the best defense, and nothing had made him change that philosophy since. The sonic blast failed to connect with the imitator, who managed to duck under it with surprising nimbleness.

He was already charging the other, forcing it back away from his swinging fists. It wasn't well programmed for defense, only retreating and blocking. No huge surprise – their masters seemed the type to expect everything to go according to plan.

A knee kick connected, letting him finally land one on its not face, sending it back. Upgrades or no, he had experience and that was plenty to even the balance. And time was on his side as his doom drew near.

"Why?" the fabricated voice of his friend demanded. The robot turned to find the other copy standing near, tensed for anything but not attacking.

"Are you some kind of fancy phone?" Cyborg asked. He could see that, one of the freaks sitting talking into a mike, watching their plans fizzle on the feed.

"You take away everything, my humanity, my free will, and you expect me to care about living? It's not even revenge, it's the only choice," Cyborg confessed. He didn't owe them an answer, but even now it was good to go out with some kind of style. In that vein, he formed his cannon again and pointed it at his opponent.

"You have your will; how could you be fighting if you didn't?" the copy pointed out.

Time seemed to stop, the cannon turning back into a hand. The optics analyzed it, and replayed his actions. He was acting; he was fighting back. Even if it was an error it meant it was possible, possibility equaled hope, he concluded in an almost comical mathematic fashion.

A thin hope, enough reason to pass up a sure thing.

At seven seconds the countdown stopped, and the scenery disintegrated in a flurry of pixels.

**X X X**

Starfire woke with a start, the shock puling through her left thigh, the wake up function of her armor. She wiped at her forehead, the metal of her gauntlets cold against her perspiring skin.

Such a dream… it had been nice – even as it faded she found herself longing for sleep. But what she wanted had not mattered for a long time.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, she walked down the shallow cave serving as her shelter to the boulder she had placed over the entrance.

She had survived a sleep period and they had awoken her without further orders.

Pushing the rock aside slowly and just enough to slip out, she looked out on the battle still unfolding after all these weeks between her comrades and the Gordanians. A blast shattered the boulder, sending her rolling.

It began again, as ever, with blood.

**X X X**

Cyborg stood in Starfire's doorway with the rest of the freed Titans, his good eye wide at the sight before him. He couldn't see Star – the tentacles had wrapped her up, leaving only stray locks of her hair to fall from the cocoon over her circular bed.

"It's different," Beast Boy stated. That was half a relief to Cyborg; he would not like to think he had been in something like that. The other half was wary, since this might mean things were worse for her.

"It's getting desperate. I don't know if this thing actually thinks, but it understands we're not just going to run if we escape now. It's tightening its grip on them. I won't be able to go in with you," Jinx told them.

Cyborg glanced to the Titan girl; she didn't look so bad without the glasses and horns. He hated her outfit – even more than Robin's, it was a disguise she wore around them.

"Me and Cy?" Beast Boy asked, watching the pulsing cocoon with anger and fear creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, but it will make her fight you, like with Cyborg. And it's bound to be worse," Jinx warned them. Beast Boy adopted his signature grin as he and Cyborg stepped into the room.

"Hope you've got room for calamari," Cyborg jibbed.

"Vegetarian, but so long as what comes out of the fryer goes in the trash, I'm good," BB answered.

**X X X**

Starfire caught her breath, turning her back on the downed enemy. As always, too strong to subdue without lethal force, not that her orders allowed that. They made dangerous prisoners, and enemy wounded returned to the battlefield to cause more trouble.

The Tamaranian girl saw the battle had moved away, or perhaps she had moved away from the battle. A touch on her shoulder opened a panel, where she sent a code that she was unengaged and well. That chore done, she sat down on a rock, letting out a long breath.

Soon the command post would dispatch her to some part of the battle, but for the moment she could rest. She thought of better times before she was old enough to be sent into the war effort, her companions in the palace, and of course her sister. Blackfire was always looking out for her back then.

She heard about her older sister making a name for herself as befit their heritage. Her own status as a soldier was far less grand, though she doubted anything in this race war truly fit that word.

"Dispatch to sector eight, mercenaries allied with Gordanians, scouts. Terminate," the communicator in her helm announced.

With a sigh, Starfire pulled herself to her feet, and, thinking of playing with her sister, she managed to fly towards her goal.

The scouts weren't very good – she spotted the odd pair on a rocky outcropping made by the battle tearing up the landscape some time ago.

A cyborg – whose species she recognized but whose name escaped her – and a green alien of some sort. Cyborgs were a wily bunch, but the unknown presented more danger. She charged up a starbolt as they spotted her.

They didn't even attack or scatter at first sight, freezing for a moment. The cyborg saved his companion, diving aside and taking him with him as the starbolt impacted.

Canon fodder, Starfire concluded as she floated down into the rocky ruins to search for her quarry. She could have stayed in the sky but they could escape in this chaotic terrain with her assuming them dead and buried.

Besides, the cyborg had enough honor to defend comrades; they deserved a warrior's demise rather than bombardment.

Right hand held out with starbolt ready, the soldier floated through the chaotic terrain. Her expression was stony as she strained her senses for some sign of them.

A tap of metal on stone sent her whirling, unleashing the starbolt in the general direction. The wreckage of a fighter craft crumpled still more under the blast. She frowned; she was too hair-trigger, it gave away her position in this place.

The footfall behind her made her blood run cold – blindsided! She whirled to find the two enemy scouts standing there. Their arms were raised, empty of weapons. Starfire frowned, cocking her head as they tried to speak at the sane time.

The cyborg said something to the green creature and started to address her. She couldn't understand a word. Then he took a step forward and she raised a charged fist, stopping him in his tracks. He held his hands up again though, trying to pantomime something, despite the awkward position.

"Command, the scouts seem to be surrendering," Starfire reported.

"Your orders are termination, we don't need or want prisoners from mercenary scum," Command curtly informed her before cutting out. She sighed; she didn't want to, but orders were orders.

Raising her other hand she resolved to make it quick.

Why weren't they frightened? Well, they were frightened, but it wasn't what she was used to seeing. The way they were looking at her…

They were afraid for her? That was ridiculous; she was not the one about to get killed. She charged the bolts for lethality, and prepared to strike – if not fatal blows, something that would give her openings needed to make it fatal.

Ready, ready, ready…

She let the energy disperse and scowled at the pair, putting her hands on her hips.

"Who are you?" she demanded, a strange feeling of déjà vu coming over her.

"We're friends," Beast Boy answered. Starfire still frowned, confused, before the slightest recognition made the ground fall away under them.

_Shortly:_

The four Titans charged through the door into the main room, steeled for battle and eager to settle this matter.

"Wicked Scary?" Beast Boy questioned, finally catching sight of the monster – the many mouthed tentacle horror did resemble one of his favorite movie monsters.

"Guess they had to get the idea from somewhere," Jinx added. The creature shrieked at them and shifted its mass to reveal Robin almost half covered in a tentacle cocoon, held protectively in front of it.

"Robin!" Starfire cried.

"How do we take it?" Cyborg asked. Even if not for rescuing his friend, he owed this bastard payback by the bucket loads for that nightmare.

"It's weak; I think it needs Robin just to fight. Hammer the shit," Jinx growled. Nodding, the Titans burst in different directions, the monster flailing about, trying to shield itself from four sides.

Starfire seized the tentacles holding Robin with starbolt shining hands. Flashes of horror filled her mind. She ripped the limbs asunder.

The horror shrieked, rattling the room as the nightmare cry emitted from all of its mouths. Cyborg, equipped for the situation, deactivating his hearing. Head suddenly clear, he picked his shot with ease, firing a sonic blast into the biggest mouth he could see, on its torso. The teeth slammed shut, and got knocked in.

The beast turned its enraged attention on the metal Titan, only to get hit over the head by a two handed slam from a green silverback gorilla. Tentacles seized the shape shifter, tightening even as he morphed into a wolf. The constriction was cut short as hex blasts blasted it square between the shoulders and another sonic blast struck its base.

Starfire gingerly placed Robin on the floor. Frowning, she contemptuously flicked away the shriveling remains of the enemy. But why did he not awaken like they had? Perhaps the creature still had some hold on them.

The monster still shrieked with fury, but it was only a disturbing noise now as it frantically tried to face three Titans at once.

"The spider isn't quite so dangerous when you knock it off its web," Jinx commented, charging new hexes. An orange blur shot past her, blowing her hair up into her face. She heard the wet crunch as she reflexively cleared her line of sight. She saw Starfire floating in front of the creature and almost told off the bubbly girl. Then she realized Starfire had just punched… whatever it was.

The fist had landed amidst its too many eyes, and buried almost up to the wrist. Almost as an afterthought, a green glow surrounded what could be seen of the hand and blasted free though the other side of the creature's head. Space now freed up, the creature fell away limply and Starfire lowered her hand.

'Well shit,' the Titans thought. When the alien girl turned around, her face was normal, albeit filled with concern as she darted to Robin's side and began to gently prod him. Cyborg looked between her and the downed monster, but shook it off, moving to assist.

"Didn't see that one coming," Jinx sighed, crossing her arms. She watched Beast Boy rummage up a remote and start to poke the remains.

"Stop that," Jinx pleaded sarcastically. He joined her as they stood by the other Titans around Robin's still form. Jinx frowned and stepped up.

The young witch placed a hand of Starfire's shoulder, drawing the frantic girl's attention away from the still unresponsive Boy Wonder. Jinx had a very determined look in her eye.

"Enough Star, I have something that might work," the witch stated. Starfire looked to the masked face of her teammate and more. She was reluctant, but she yielded to the one who may be qualified. Jinx eased Robin's head into her own lap and took a deep breath. The Titans tensed for the magic display, wondering if it would be flashy or creepy subtle.

She slapped him in the face. As the Titans' jaws almost dropped, she began to shake him.

"Up already! The thing's gone, what, are you sleeping it off? ! You're supposed to be the badass here, get a grip-!" Jinx's shaking and ranting were cut off as a pale hand shot up to grab her neck in a vice grip.

"Bring her back," Robin demanded. He voice was cold like a knife sliding between ribs. Jinx grabbed his wrist, struggling to breathe and rip away the hand.

"Robin stop!" Starfire cried, leaning down to his face. Jinx clawed at his hand, his eyes fixed on her, oblivious to Starfire. Seeing his gloved hand tighten further on her throat, Cyborg grabbed his wrist. He'd break if he had too, his glance to Starfire said.

"Robin, the nightmare is over, don't hurt your friends!" Starfire pleaded. That seemed to get through; his hand opened and Jinx fell backward onto the floor. The witch wheezed and pushed herself away from the Boy Wonder as he groaned, putting the hand to his brow.

"What happened?" he asked, groggy and already angry. He saw Beast Boy and Cyborg staring at him very unnerved, and Jinx hacking on her hands and knees.

"What did I do?" Robin demanded, trying to stand and stumbling.

"You were in the grip of terror," Starfire told him steadying his form.

"What the hell?" Jinx spat.

"This is all kinds of awkward, let's just-" Beast Boy began, before breaking glass interrupted the tense situation. The Titans turned to see one of the big windows broken, the monster gone, and a green mass hurtling across the sky.

"Possum," Cyborg cursed.

"We can't let it get away, after it!" Jinx told them. Starfire took off immediately, with the others, sans Robin, running to the window.

_Bay Shore:_

Starfire was the first to land on the bay shore where they had lost sight of the enemy, green light casting the rocks eerily. Jinx touched down next, with Beast Boy landing and returning to his normal form.

"Where'd it-" Beast Boy asked before a pair of loud snaps were followed by a shriek in the night. The Titans rushed after the noise and came up short at what they saw.

The creature looked to be very dead; its head was roughly severed from its shoulders, and the torso almost cut through down the middle. Before their eyes, the eyes faded to black and its form started to crumple.

"Evening Titans, or perhaps good morning?" a familiar voice floated from the darkness. Midnight seemed to rise from the shadows into the green light Starfire provided.

"Midnight, you sent that?" Jinx accused. The villain grinned, before shaking her head ever so slightly.

"Sadly, not everything bad that happens in this city is my doing. I just came to watch the show, and as a salute to a fine performance cleaned up this little mess for you."

"You're welcome," Midnight smiled.

The Titans scowled at her, and Midnight laughed.

"Are you actually thinking of fighting me? I had no trouble finishing that beast off, while you three are exhausted and short two team members. Actually, this gives me quite the golden opportunity."

"But no, while effective it would not send the message I want, to take advantage of the situation. When you are destroyed it will be by my hand and my design."

"So rest well Titans, heal your wounds and guard yourselves against these lesser foes. Your downfall belongs to me," Midnight proclaimed, melting back into the fading night, as if she had never been there at all. Relieved that she was gone, the three Titans exchanged looks of unease.

The night of fear was over, but they were still in the grip of something just as sinister.

"Broom," Beast Boy spoke up with a smile, breaking the mood. Jinx glared at the broom she was holding before mounting it sidesaddle and rising into the air.

"Not a word," she commanded, before ascending back into the lightening sky.

* * *

**AN:**

_Well, this was much harder than expected. In the original plan this was meant to come later, but it really didn't seem to fit anywhere else in the overall plan. Another character chapter, though with more action. I thought Deception would come before this, but this waty makes more sense. Well to me at least._

_Next chapter, preparations for both sides are more or less complete, and we begin the violent descent into the arc's finale. Deception has less of the psy stuff to get hung up on and mostly Raven's POV making things easier. It's one thing getting into the Titans' heads, but when they also have some AU backgrounds it can be quite irritating. Not doing a chapter like this again anytime soon._

_Only two more chapters till the arc wraps up, then a bit of an epilogue before this goes on hold for awhile to let me focus on other stories. Think of it like an offseason after what I hope to be a badass finale._


	12. Deception

_Disclaimer:_ You think what? I assure you, I do not own the Teen Titans.

_Betaed by:_ Zim'smostloyalservant

"**The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.**"

- Algernon, Oscar Wilde

* * *

**Deception**

_Years Ago, Somewhere Underground:_

Raven pulled her lips back as Slade's fist clipped her shoulder. Her purple hair swung about in sweaty clumps as she backpedaled, torturing to hold a flexible stance.

"Still not breathing hard. Your stamina has improved. Left," he called out before his left hand struck out. Raven could tell she wouldn't be able to dodge it. Instead she blocked with the armor on her forearms, trying to roll with it. The metal clanged and she still felt the impact enough to expect bruising later.

Still on her feet, she kept retreating, trying to avoid being forced into a corner. The armor protected everything but her head to some extent. Once she would have thought that meant he'd keep it below the neck. She wasn't as foolish as she had been.

Or as weak, she grinned briefly. True, he was holding back and still winning, and calling out which arm he was going to strike with, kicks having yet to appear. But she was lasting much longer now.

"Right," Slade called out. She braced herself, eyes swiveling to see what kind of blow was coming. His left fist slammed into her cheek, sending her to the floor.

"Failure," Slade declared, standing over his apprentice. Raven slowly came to her knees, vision still fuzzy. Despite the sensitivity, she felt over the injury, nothing obviously broken.

"You said right," she told him confused.

"I lied. But only with my mouth. My body language screamed the truth. If you can't read the most naked intents, you will always find yourself deceived and defeated on the battlefield," Slade told her. She nodded, before a towel was tossed over her head, covering it.

She pulled it off to find herself alone in the training room.

_Present Day, Undisclosed Location:_

Robin leaned against the wall, almost wishing the punch in his cup was spiked. It wasn't that Batman might find out about this; he would. What he dreaded was Nightwing and the others' commentary.

Jinx had actually pulled off the flying, and he should be happy his team's performance had improved. Yet still he stood here, dressed as a character from Scooby Doo, only retaining his mask and the meager scrap of dignity it afforded.

Maybe if he took off the mask no one would have recognized him?

He looked out over the party in the hall, seeing the pristine ocean through the high windows on the opposite wall.

People who work in disguise gathering for a masquerade. Something poetic in that he supposed. Or maybe just sadly ironic.

"That's a Bat Disciple for you, even at a party meant to relax, you remain on edge," a deep amused voice called out. Robin turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at the speaker. The famed Martian Manhunter himself, dressed in a tuxedo. Robin supposed that qualified as a costume for him.

"It does, though the novelty of this party is a bit wasted on a shapeshifter.

"I didn't read your mind, it was written on your face," J'onn smiled at the stern expression he was given. He took a place next to Robin at the wall, watching the party progress.

"I can't believe you would come here," Robin commented.

"The others were insistent I take more time off; they worry I will burn myself out manning the Watchtower. Normally I would go away from people, but I felt a desire to change pace this time. Why are you here though?" J'onn asked.

"Lost a bet with a teammate," Robin answered lowly. The Martian grinned at the antics of young Earthers; it was especially good to see in one of Batman's grim wards.

"Jinx or Beast Boy, I imagine. Beast Boy has an excellent record and Jinx was one of our better prospects; you were fortunate to get them," J'onn commented. They both knew he wasn't just talking about their practical skills. Silence hung between the two as the music switched from upbeat to slow.

"Robin, we know you have a threat in Jump," the Manhunter admitted.

"We can handle it," Robin answered.

"When you don't trust your own team?" he asked. Again silence.

"Very well, you're well within your rights on this. Though I advise you not to let pride endanger your team if matters get out of hand.

"There's another matter I want you to look after, a personal one," J'onn continued. Robin turned his head slightly to show he had the majority of his attention on the senior hero. J'onn knew better than to think a Bat Disciple gave their undivided attention to anything ever.

"The entity, Razor. I would like her to be a priority capture for you."

"Why?" Robin demanded in a polite tone.

"Because, I am partially to blame for her state of mind, or lack thereof, I should say.

"It's confidential, but sufficient to say she was mutated to be a soldier and mind-controlled to obey. I freed her from the Brain's control, but made a costly, disastrous mistake.

"I have an obligation Robin; he may have done the damage, but I failed to save her sentience from collapse. I don't ask this on behalf of the League," the Manhunter explained. He sounded far away, likely recalling the incident he was hinting at.

Robin didn't give a verbal answer, but the Green Martian seemed satisfied, and spotting his young protégée by the buffet excused himself in silence.

Robin watched him go, weighing and calculating the conversation. Bruce had told him that the Manhunter was the most trustworthy of all the old guard Leaguers, followed by Flash, due to the Martian being more even-keeled.

The request seemed innocent enough, but the Watchtower seemed ever more political and all the things that came with it. So different from the first League when he had been up a few times. Then, it had been nothing but clear – an alliance of the world's best, pooling their resources and skills to deal with threats to the globe and other trouble.

Now it was very much an organization with hierarchies, competing agendas, and secrets. It only took one secret to unravel the original Justice League.

All the more reason to keep the Watchtower out of his business. He carried on the ideals of that first League in the Titans; someone had to.

But he would try and grant the request… after investigating Razor a bit himself.

_Meanwhile:_

Jinx stepped off the dance floor, wiping some sweat from her brow. Her Velma costume was hot, and not in the attractive way. Still, she stuck by this being one of her best ideas ever. Cyborg dressed up like Fred, wig and all, would be worth it. Robin as Shaggy – priceless.

"Having fun?" someone asked directly behind her. Jinx tensed at being blindsided, but considering the company, it was to be expected, she supposed. Turning, she saw the speaker was a tall, burly looking man; at least, she thought so. Their costume was a black-checkered harlequin outfit with a domino mask.

"It's a party," Jinx answered, smiling. He leaned down almost to her height and she felt an urge to take a step back when she heard it.

"The white glove is extended," she heard him say, knowing no one else did.

"Better shake," she answered a bit shakily. Silence fell over them and Jinx glanced around to see time had stopped everything in its tracks, except him and her.

"I thought this wasn't supposed to happen," Jinx accused with half-hearted vigor. The harlequin leaned forward, a gesture more intimidating than rearing back to his height could possibly be. She got the impression of a bird about to peck a bug from the ground.

"The Good Man sent me; he's worried about you," he told her.

"Oh, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine," Jinx answered. She took a step back and he pulled back some to regard her from under his mask.

"He was getting a bit worried; deep cover can be trying. It can make you question things, forget where your true loyalties lie. He's a very good man, but he is not so naive.

"Good job with those nightmares, the ones you saw and heard about. Excellent data, simply excellent," he trilled deeply.

"Well, I didn't get it all," Jinx offered, taking a deep breath.

"Four out of five is good. Besides, Robin isn't vital, you need to keep focused on the boy, he's the important one there," the harlequin reminded her.

"There's nothing, he's put it behind him, I'm sure of it. The Doom Patrol is as dead as their Chief," Jinx insisted.

"Hmm, yet the dreams don't lie.

"Don't think too much; we all have our part to play, and we must trust the Good Man's judgment, or everything comes tumbling down," he told her, coming back to his full height. Rummaging at his belt, he tossed something to Jinx, which she caught.

"You aren't very important, and as good as he is, there's a limit to forgiveness, especially in the face of treachery. The colors change, but the role is the same," he told her. Jinx opened her hands and saw what he had given her – a simple white plastic chess pawn.

Sound came back, and she glanced around to see time had restarted. She slipped the chess piece into her pocket and decided to see if anyone had spiked the punch.

The harlequin watched her go, frowning under his mask.

"Oh, I know who that is! You made it buddy," Booster Gold called out. He walked up to the harlequin costumed man, dressed like a Wild West sheriff, save for the still present mask.

"Great costume, but you can't fool Booster Gold," the glory hound preened.

"You mean your robot scanned me and told you. Honestly, learn to play the horn before you blow it man," he chided, before clapping Booster on the shoulder and diving into a discussion on how they could both shake the B-list for the big time.

_Two Days Later, Jump City:_

Midnight sat sedately on a crate in the warehouse, her armored form half illuminated in the darkness by the laptop sitting in front of her. She watched the news feed playing out on it expressionlessly.

"Back to our breaking news at ARES Research Labs, the situation seems to have stabilized, the intruder having fled the scene. The intruder has been identified as the Metahuman terrorist Ricardo Guerra, who has notably plagued our city by releasing a number of dangerous criminals from captivity.

"He has fled the scene of the crime with the Titans in pursuit; his capture has yet to be confirmed.

"Wait, we have received confirmation that the object of theft in this break in was retrieved and is back in the hands of ARES security-" Midnight flicked it closed and rose to her feet, the darkness offering little hindrance to her or the massive man she heard approaching.

"You didn't get the chip."

"Si, as you said, try to get it and rile them up. I acted like I didn't notice when those silly shuriken cut the bag from my belt. I told them you would have those chips, if not tonight then soon, as you paid me to," Guerra reported. Midnight smiled slightly as she tossed him his payment.

_ARES Laboratories:_

Robin knelt by the blast door, inspecting the crime scene in the vault Guerra had so recently ripped open. He rose as he heard Cyborg approach from within. The atmosphere was uncomfortable with the armored ARES security troops – "guards" hardly fitting them in his opinion – hovering about.

"Anything?" Robin asked.

"Nothing but what I expected; it was Guerra, which we already knew. I mean, what do you expect to find? That it was a robot disguised as Guerra playing us for fools or something?" Cyborg responded tiredly. Robin had been more intense then usual after the fear monster incident – whatever he had seen had worked him over but good.

Cyborg resisted a shudder as Robin turned away, inquiring a trooper for something. Robin had been ready to kill Jinx coming out of that nightmare; his scanners had recorded the Boy Wonder's readings, they spelled out murder as best as things could. Jinx was hardly his favorite person, but she was a Titan, and even without that…

He was certain it all came back to Midnight. The girl showing up and threatening the others with Robin not being there was just as much to blame.

"Well, I'm glad we insure for overpowered mercenaries," a familiar voice broke in. The troopers somehow stood a bit straighter as Raven Wilson walked in, shadowed by her bodyguard. Despite the hour, she was well dressed in a business suit with respectable skirt of matching dark blue. Had she been working late or just dressed up for the occasion, Cyborg wondered?

She spared him a smile before turning her attention to Robin. The Boy Wonder could tell the smile for him was false and meant to be spotted as such.

"ARES Jump offers its thanks Robin, it's good to have the new model back," Raven thanked him. She extended a pale hand for a shake and received nothing. Smiling wider, she crossed her arms behind her back, looking amused by his intensity.

"He was acting on behalf of a very dangerous criminal; what can that chip be used for?" Robin demanded.

"That is what we call classified. Though I will say it would be easier to say what it can't do, at least when all the bugs are worked out," Raven conceded.

"You're not helping," Robin informed her. Raven pulled her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. Cyborg found it amusing, while Robin just scowled deeper.

"I'm just the local management, it's not my place to reveal valuable secrets. Bedsides, our clients would not like the likes of you to know such things.

"Besides, there is no legal obligation to assist a private group like yourselves. What's say I treat the two of you to a fine meal though, as a gesture of my gratitude?" Raven inquired. Cyborg was not one to turn down free food, but he already knew Robin's answer, and by extension his own.

"We have to get going," Robin told her, and by extension him. Robin walked past her out of the vault, letting her give a wave to Cyborg behind the other Titan's back. Cyborg returned it with a nod before joining his team leader.

She watched them go, amused by how close, and yet how far, they were from their goal. It would almost be a pity when this ended.

Raven resisted the urge to drum her fingers on the steel expanse before her. A metal table, it would have fit in her lair, but it hardly seemed appropriate for a conference room at ARES. She made a mental note to get it replaced; like most of her predecessor's bright ideas, it was a flop.

It was too late for a meeting, especially this one. She could cherry pick what she did and didn't do, but pride and cover demanded she stick with it once committed. Stupid researchers, rescheduling when she was supposed to be training; if squirming hadn't been practically beaten out of her, she would be doing it as the sweaty man explained what she already knew.

Honestly, when it came to the mechanical side of this operation, she seemed to know more than her employees!

When he asked her opinion, she resisted the urge to tell the sweaty man he was boring and fired. She elected to offer praise that was possibly sarcastic, so he wouldn't be able to tell if she was bored and pleased, or showing thinly veiled displeasure. Let him squirm in turn.

As she opened her mouth, putting her hand over the papers she had been given earlier but made a point to not look at, her phone rang. More importantly, the jingle was one reserved for certain occasions the security system contacted her for.

"What the hell?" Raven exclaimed, pulling out the device as the text lit up, confirming it. Intruder alert.

Nothing was scheduled for tonight.

Someone was _actually_ robbing her? She wasn't certain if she should be angry or amused. She opted for anger, since it was appropriate to express in front of the grunts.

Without a word, she rose and briskly walked out of the conference room, bodyguard falling in behind her. She would get to the bottom of this.

_Shortly:_

Donald stood behind the cheap rolling chair Raven sat on, lips pressed into a thin line. They sat in a monitor-cramped surveillance room, the security guards thrown out in favor of her entourage. Not that the executive and bureaucratic hanger-ons would contribute anything, but they were just another annoyance to be endured.

The external security footage showed the thief make short work of the Titans. She liked his taste, but the recurring X theme struck her as a bit tacky. She would bet a grand that "X" featured in his nom de plum.

Clichés aside, she couldn't argue with the results. Like her, he seemed to have learned the simplest way to subdue the Titans. Restrain Starfire's arms, attack Cyborg's tech in kind, an adhesive X to rob Jinx of her sight. And most clever of all, a sticky gel substance that contained Beast Boy, despite his shapeshifting.

Thankfully, all he did was humiliate them; intervening under these circumstances would be bothersome. How horrible for her to fail because some no name came out of nowhere and beat her to the goal post? No, horrible wouldn't begin to cover it; and killing the interloper would not make up for failing to do her father's will.

No, she would prove her worth; there would be no doubt she deserved a place at his side.

Her musings were interrupted as someone finally dared to speak up in the room.

"Should we send assistance?" Donald asked after the black-clad skull-masked villain vanished from sight. Raven considered leaving the Titans to either free themselves or wait for Robin to bail them out. Speaking of which, where was the Boy Wonder? The new guy's victory was not as impressive when the full set was not present.

"Send some troops up, tell them not to go out of their way, but see to it they can walk off our property in short order," Raven told him. Besides, it could be seen as a friendly gesture by Cyborg.

"Ma'am, the colonel wants to talk to you," an aide spoke up, stepping into sight and offering her a cell phone. Oh right, the people they were making the chip for, Raven recalled. This was not a good night, she concluded, taking the call.

_Later:_

Midnight was wishing she could be training now; her muscles twitched at the break from routine. Instead, she stood before a multi-screened terminal scanning the database. Oddly enough, a red x appeared, showing the failure to locate the data she desired.

"Nothing from anywhere," Midnight murmured. Despite the skills and tech displayed, this new player had seemingly come from nowhere. Which was absurd – everything originated from somewhere, and one doesn't just pick up tech and skill like that in their garage.

Though his costume thoroughly concealed his identity… assuming it even was a "he". Perhaps a known commodity operating under a new alias? Just as likely someone's hidden ace being played or cutting loose.

All probabilities called for caution. A light began to flash blue on the keyboard. A call through the secure line reserved for unsavory business. Already armored up, there was no reason to put off the call.

'Speak of the Devil,' she thought as the object of her inquiry's mask filled the screen. Training kept her from showing surprise at this development.

"Well, good evening, or should I say morning," Midnight greeted casually. He stepped back from the communicator, letting his upper body be seen, and the chip he was holding level with his chest.

"Word on the street is you're interested in this," he asked in a digitally distorted monotone.

"For once the word is true. And you are calling for what? A sale, a trade, or perhaps a gift, Mr.…?" she inquired disinterestedly.

"X, Red X," he supplied in an inflection no doubt meant to be cool. A cause that wasn't helped by the fact he was unknowingly trying to sell back what he had stolen. Which alleviated any worries it had been anything deeper than a robbery.

But, to the matter at hand, she decided.

"Red X, how original. You already seem to know about me, so I suppose the question is, what can we do for one another?" Midnight pressed.

"You're planning something big, I want in. Not as a lackey, a full partner," Red X stated. Midnight grinned, trying to read that mask of his.

"My, my, we are a bold one, aren't we? You come out of nowhere and ask for me to invest trust of all things in you. Ambition tends to keep company with foolishness, most would ask for something smaller," Midnight chuckled.

"If I was the type to think small I wouldn't be in this business. I want the fast ticket to the top, and you are the pretty ticket in town," he answered, tossing the chip casually.

"Oh, flattery will get you places, but you may not like the trip. You do know I'm high on the short list for the local white hats?" she asked.

"White, black, it's all so done and tiresome. Gray is more my color," he answered her.

"A charmer, how quaint. Alright, Red X, I'll let you put your foot in the door, but you'll have to pass a certain test before we can talk your price," she decided, giving her best predator grin.

"I'm listening," he stated, tucking the chip out of sight.

"Good, I'm not in the habit of repeating myself," Midnight shot back tauntingly. Fortunately, she had just the thing to put him off while she pursued a thorough and organized investigation before destroying him.

**X X X**

The standard fighter robot stood stock still before it split down the middle, the two sides both falling back in a heap.

Raven stood amidst the training room littered with robot corpses, wearing only a short sleeved white shirt and black shorts. Plan to fight under any eventuality; even without her armor and the only weapon being a blade she took from one of them, she could defeat six of the robots fully armed. She had actually considered trying one on one in the buff, having read how the state of nudity reduces one's performance.

She could justify entertaining such thoughts because of her skill, the time proven results that showed her steady improvement without a step backwards. A certainty that made theatrics like that last move unnecessary, but which seemed warranted as her expression darkened in anger.

Her right hand slapped on the burn across her left upper arm. Close enough of a shot to burn away the fabric and wound her. How long had it been since that happened with so few drones!

"You are distressed," Ai pointed out unhelpfully, as her robot double walked onto the part strewn floor with a towel and a water bottle. It sill amused Raven, the novelty of seeing herself walking around; did she really sound so monotone though?

"You think?" Raven retorted, slinging the towel over her shoulders and taking a sip of the water. The robot nodded and Raven gave a cryptic giggle at the frankness.

"Stay amusing Ai, you'll live longer," Raven waved the android off, which it took as a cue to leave. Raven frowned now that she was truly alone and slapped the wound before turning it into a squeeze. She brought out the pain of it till it filled her head, and then released it with an angry hiss.

Mistakes could not be afforded this close to her endgame with the Titans. And the matter of Red X, who was ironically an x-factor in Jump City.

Red X… this little incident was his fault, she had to admit it. To herself, but no one else, ever.

That line about gray being his favorite color, that was what kept coming back. Most likely a reference to morality on a color-coded scale. In fact, it was fairly obvious. But his tone and word choice seemed to indicate something more.

'Tone? His voice was freaking audio altered!' she raged to herself. The closest robot corpse exploded a bit, prompting her to take a deep breath.

Honestly, yes, it sounded like he was admiring her skin. She had no shortage of admirers, but that was her public mask, all painted for their amusement, that they were interested in. Her own (beauty?) was not something that got appreciated. Those dunderhead demigods didn't count; they were so clearly beneath her after all.

So was this Red X, right?

Seeing a rather literal red, Raven began to stomp the robot remains into still more scrap.

**X X X**

Raven sat in front of the terminal, the remote control held lightly in her hand. Razor laid at her feet, curled up, making a small metal on metal sound as she breathed, relaxed. And why shouldn't she be relaxed when her "big sis" was at ease? Raven reclined in the chair and hit the rewind button again.

A lovely melee it had been. The Titans were no fools and had done their best to plug the holes Red X had poked through them last time. Cyborg did something to his systems, shutting out the short circuit before it began. Jinx took her x-patch to the arm, which still seemed painful, as it constricted the appendage. Yet both Titans remained in the game, pursuing the mysterious and powerful thief through the subway station.

Then, the break in character; she watched yet again as the villain saved the plucky green hero.

It could be a sense of honor, but Red X came across as unscrupulous, with pride as the closest thing. Or perhaps he didn't want to bring down the heat of a hero fatality on himself? Yet his stated ambition was to shoot to the top.

It could be explained away, save for the missing element.

"Oh Robin, you are still a boy playing at a man's game," Raven smirked. A control freak like him _might_ miss twice, but under these circumstances it became obvious to her. The entire set up was a trap for her – it could now be dismissed, her mind clearing anew.

She would turn this trap of his back on the Boy Wonder.

Sleep beckoned, but she found herself preferring to get an early start on her plans.

'You fear the dreams, the fires,' a familiar voice admonished her. She pushed it aside, with a frown; she was no little girl to be frightened of bad dreams.

In the shadows cast by the screens, Ai watched and smiled, purple pupils flashing red for a moment.

_The Next Night:_

Robin frowned under his mask as he walked through the dark vault. It was exasperating how they displayed the chip like a museum piece. Everything else was locked up in cabinets or walk in mini vaults across this chamber, but this seemed to almost be begging to be stolen.

'Am I blaming the company for making this easy?' he thought to himself.

This skirted too close to the line; these crimes were real, even as he planned to return what he had taken. And there was danger, as demonstrated by Beast Boy's brush with a subway train.

But it was worth it to end this Midnight business. She was a killer from a young age, as Cyborg could testify, and he doubted whoever trained her had failed to build on that foundation. She was a powerful and skilled killer; the only question was whether that lethality would be unleashed on the city directly or if she first decided to remove its protectors.

She spared Cyborg and Beast Boy at Star Labs and showed herself to have powerful subordinates and military might in her robots. And even if she had told the truth about that abomination, she again had weakened Titans at her mercy and decided to leave them be.

Something was coming – whatever she was planning was proceeding apace, an unseen disease creeping through his city.

He couldn't keep reacting, waiting and hoping she would mess up and somehow tip her hand.

It was necessary; Red X was a grim necessity, a flu shot sickening to combat a deadlier disease.

'You will pay for making me stoop so low,' Robin promised as he pulled the chip free. Then the lights came on, and despite years of training and experience he was left stunned.

Midnight's robots lined the upper level balcony, and a dozen larger robots such as those that had attacked the tower surrounded him.

"How," he slipped, before drawing himself up.

"With great difficulty, but that reaction was worth it. If only I could see some of your face," Midnight answered. Two of the looming bots stepped back, opening a space for her to walk in. She stopped about two meters from where he stood, eyes resting on the chip in his hand before smiling and placing one hand on her hip and tossing back her cloak.

"That's three, so what's the answer?" Robin demanded. He pulled out the other chips, holding their cousin in his grasp.

"The answer… alright. As sexy as you may be under that skull, I just don't feel like I can commit to a long-term… thing at this point. Maybe we can be friends," Midnight mused. A metal net suddenly shot out from nowhere, snagging the chips out of Robin's hand and flying up into Midnight's.

Robin took a step forward, drawing an X-arang, when the vault door blew open. Cyborg led the charge as the Titans took the robots in the rear before they could react.

"And that would be my cue," Midnight remarked. Robin looked back to see her leap onto the balcony.

"No!" he shouted, moving to pursue the villain. He was brought up short as a metal hand grabbed his cape.

"Not so fast dirt bag!" Cyborg declared smugly, pulling his free hand back for a punch.

"Stop, it's-!" Starfire yelled, flying over the melee to them.

"Me!" Robin finished, ripping off the skull mask.

"Wha?" Cyborg's face was filled with confusion and his grip released. There was no time to explain; he turned and whipped out a cable, swinging up to the balcony as he saw Midnight exit through a hole in the upper wall. A boom below stopped him at the cusp of the exit.

"Hola," Ricardo Guerra greeted the Titans as he rose from his crouch.

"You again?" Cyborg asked, as the others fought off the swarming robots.

"Si, you didn't think I would just fade out? Alas, it's business and not pleasure, but still we can dance," Guerra cracked his knuckles. Robin looked to his team as Guerra charged with a joyous war cry, and to the path Midnight had taken.

He had no choice.

**X X X**

He finally caught up with her on a wide roof, back-dropped against a massive ad. A trio of X-arangs imbedded in her path and exploded, stopping her flight for him to finally come to grips with her.

"You're not going anywhere but jail, Midnight," Robin stated. She tilted her head, and he was certain she lifted an eyebrow under that mask.

"So I take it you are withdrawing that offer of an alliance?" she asked, too sincerely for his taste. Frowning, he pulled a staff from his belt and extended it.

"I don't make deals with criminals," Robin answered as they began to circle each other.

"Ah, and what do you call yourself after three heists, or should I say two and a half? And you seem to have conned your trusty comrades – that's just mean. I keep secrets, of course, but villains are supposed to not play nice," she observed, sounding a bit offended. Robin narrowed his eyes; he was tensed up for a fight, but Midnight was just walking around normally, her body language lacking any tension or anticipation.

She didn't see him as a threat!

He expected her to dodge when he struck. Instead, she brought up an arm and blocked the Bo with a metallic ring. He pressed the assault, with the same results, until he aimed low and swept her off her feet. She was heavy in that armor, he observed as he held the staff under her chin, prepared to ram it into her throat with all his force behind it.

"Checkmate," he told her. And it was; even with protection he knew he could tear through a robot with his staff and skill, he could accidentally kill her if she tried anything.

But that didn't make sense, this was nothing like he had seen on that wall or pulled from Star Labs' security.

His ears barely caught the sound of sliding metal and his eyes had only just recognized the shift in her chest before instinct compelled him to leap clear. Twin hails of bullets streamed through the space he had just occupied.

Hi opponent impossibly leapt up from her position and landed deftly, cracking the roof slightly under her weight. Smoke rose from the gun barrels as they slid back into their ports and were covered.

"Oh, Father would be so ashamed, baring my big guns to a strange boy in the middle of the night! Such a tart I am!" she laughed.

"A robot," Robin commented. The clues had been there, all power and none of the grace Midnight had displayed, and no powers at all.

"That's right, Midnight saw through your pathetic attempt at deception. Not only has your trap failed, but you have delivered her the very pieces needed to enable her masterstroke. Some Boy Wonder," it grinned at him.

"You won't be leaving, much less with those chips," Robin said, falling back into stance. The robot flexed its arms, prompting buzz saws to emerge along the forearms.

"I told her it was cliché, but it still feels good to actually use them," the robot told him, before propelling itself forward with a low leap. He shifted his footing and ducked under the left blade, before entering the air himself and passing over it, striking its back.

He landed awkwardly, stumbling, his staff lost to get the direction and power needed. Saws whirring, the robot turned to face him, showing off fake teeth in a grin.

"Was that some ninja move? I don't have pressure points or organs to agitate, idiot," it laughed. Robin said nothing, which seemed to worry it, before electric currents seized it. The X he had planted on it had brought down Cyborg, it should do some damage here.

The machine slumped but didn't fall as the shock wore off. With a creaking and sound of straining metal, it pulled its head up to face him. It was tougher than he thought; best finish it from a distance in case it had some suicide protocol.

Cold hands grabbed his wrists as a knee struck his back; next thing he knew he was face faulting into the roof.

"Well done Robin, you broke one of my toys. Isn't that just like a naughty little boy," Midnight cooed atop him. Robin growled and he she twisted his wrists ever so slightly.

"Easy now, you're at my mercy and your friends, or perhaps I should say teammates, are preoccupied.

"Hmm, even without powers there are so many ways to kill you from this position. After all that build up, I must say I'm disappointed – Bat Disciples are supposed to be so good that when you sneak up on them you're actually walking into a trap. But you are the runt of the litter, so I guess if anyone under performs it would be you.

"Though that was a good plan, maybe worthy of your great master, but even grand strategies fail in the hands of the unworthy. And as Ai said, for all your posing and declarations you are a boy. Let me guess, you stormed out of Batman's tutelage out of rebellion and the perceived lack of respect that seems to recur in lesser males?" Midnight taunted.

'Keep monologuing, give me all the time I need to get out of this,' Robin though as his legs shifted silently. Her free leg popped up and the steel boot struck the back of one of his knees, raising a pained grunt.

"Time, mistress," the robot spoke up.

"Well, seems it's time to go. You get a free pass tonight, since you helped me move my plans along, now it's just a matter of putting all the pieces together," Midnight declared. She leaned down briefly into his line of sight, her cloak covering both of them on the rooftop, until her mouth was next to his ear.

"Here's a tip though, for the flattery, empty as it was. You have a cuckoo in your nest, best get it out before it kills all the other little birds," she whispered, smiling. The weight left him and he rushed to his feet. He saw her helping the robot to the ledge like a wounded soldier lending a shoulder. He let an X-arang fly as he drew a back up staff, but they stepped off the ledge, leaving the projectile to cut through empty air.

Running to the ledge, he looked over it to find no sign of either criminal.

"Did we win?" Beast Boy asked. Robin turned to see Beast Boy walking up to him as the other Titans arrived on the roof. He saw that Starfire was carrying the Red X mask as she landed on the roof; he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"No," Robin sighed.

_Titans Tower:_

Robin leaned over the table in his evidence room; he should really have kept a chair in here. By unspoken agreement he had come here so the others could say their pieces with him. He was grateful they didn't seem to want a group confrontation, though he realized this could be worse. Tonight the Titans could very well end.

Beast Boy had been the first, not surprising. He was the most upfront of the Titans, often driving off impulse. That conversation had been surprisingly brief, as the changeling was angry but forgiving. Sadly, Robin thought it was in part because the Doom Patrol had made him accustomed to a measure of lies and secrets.

He was dreading Starfire the most. He was certain she would forgive him. But just now that forgiveness seemed worse than punishment. He had never asked for her to be anything more to him than a teammate. Being who he was, and what he aspired to be, it wasn't in the cards for him to be what she deserved.

The cards… as if it was fate to blame. He knew it was his own choices that led to this; a mistake, but it had been his to make.

The door opened and he tensed visibly. Some of it left as the heavy footfalls announced Cyborg's arrival.

"Robin," Cyborg greeted plainly.

"Cyborg, you want an explanation?" Robin asked.

"Not really, I think it's pretty plain. Damn it, I'm the one who should be getting stupid over this. You're supposed to be the steady, solid, badass Batman knockoff," Cyborg grumbled.

"Where do you think I got the obsessive behavior from?" Robin queried, smiling a bit despite the atmosphere.

"I get tricking her, Trojan horse deal. But you lied to us, beat us," Cyborg stated.

"It had to be genuine; if you had known, you wouldn't have gone all out. She would have seen through it, even though she did anyway."

"You knew exactly how to take us down; that wasn't something you slapped together was it?

"You hear rumors, that Batman always carries kryptonite, just in case. That he has plans to take down every known hero, even his League buddies. I never thought you'd do the same to us. Even Star, man?" Cyborg demanded.

Robin had no answer.

"By the way, here's your mug, you left it in your secret room," Cyborg commented, placing a plain white coffee mug on the evidence table. Robin looked at it, stunned, before turning to Cyborg. The Titan's face was tight with anger.

"Funny thing – after the whole horror monster, I went to upgrade our systems, got some tips from the Watchtower on how to beef it up against creepy magic stuff. Well, I found a little hole in the system in the doing, and it just got bigger as I looked. A secret room, with files on all of us, records of everything we do, and your little off the books workshop.

"Oh yeah, and a secondary surveillance system."

"Cyborg…"

"Where the hell do you get off?" Cyborg growled. That set Robin back a step; when no more words came Robin decided it was time to level with his friend.

"Someone has to watch, and that includes watching the watchmen. The Joker riots broke out while Oracle was taking a break the rest of us all but demanded. All those times nothing happened, and Oracle looked away and the situation was out of control, I don't need to tell you how many died.

"You only need to make one mistake, trust one wrong person. The League trusted Hawkgirl, and they had every reason to, but that trust nearly destroyed the world.

"I don't ask for you to forgive me, I can't fault your anger. A betrayal of trust safeguards against betrayal, I know it makes me a hypocrite," Robin confessed. Cyborg looked him up and down, his face lined with anger, perhaps reexamining someone he thought he knew.

"I've thought about you like a bro Robin, like BB as the annoying little brother. Star as the sweet sis who I'll kick ass for, no questions asked. Hell, even Jinx is like the annoying sister who exists to cause me grief.

"But that's not it for you, eh? All of it's just levels of threats, with odds on how much of a danger we are, and strategies how to deal with what happens.

"And you really do think of us as friends, don't you! Even if you were sure we are on your side, you still feel the need to… shit, I wouldn't want to live in your world man," Cyborg sighed. The anger had run its course, not gone, but he seemed to have said what he had come for.

"The others?" Robin asked hesitantly.

"I should tell them, but I haven't. They all need this, the Titans. And on the heels of the Red X crap this might kill the Titans. I'll keep quiet, for their sakes, not yours.

"But you're on notice. Someone has to watch the watchmen? Well, consider yourself watched – if I ever think you are a threat to them I will shut you down, even if it means the end of the Titans," Cyborg explained, stone faced. He turned to go, the door opening again. He paused in the doorway, but didn't look back.

"Get your shit together man, for all our sakes," Cyborg whispered audibly. He stepped through the doorway and it closed behind him. Robin looked after him in the dark of the evidence room.

_Somewhere Beneath Jump City:_

Raven stood in the motor pool, having already changed into her mechanic's jumpsuit as she carried a box laden with parts. She walked up to where Ai was propped up on a pair of steel saw horses, her back panels removed, revealing the damaged circuitry. Setting down her box and puling a multi-tool from her tool belt, Raven went to work on the robot.

"You're lucky you're part magic, that x would have burned out a normal drone. And yet Cyborg was up and running on his own devices in hours; I guess his tech really is a cut above the rest," Raven remarked.

"So, who is the *creeeeeeee*," Ai began before her voice gave way to a tone. Raven set the damaged component aside and swiftly replaced it with a fresh specimen and reconnected the wires.

"You were saying?" Raven asked.

"Which Titan is a traitor?" Ai demanded with a bit of heat. Raven ceased her working in the robot's innards to frown at the back of its head.

"There is no traitor," Raven finally admitted.

"What?" Ai asked, trying to rotate her head but failing as the mechanism jammed halfway. Raven rolled her eyes and grabbed the head, twisting it the full 180 so they were face to face.

"Well, no traitor that I know of, at any rate. It's all part of the plan… well, Red X wasn't, but like I said it does move things along nicely.

"I planted a seed in soil that is so fertile it's practically fresh from the cow. Robin's suspicions will poison any chances at healing from tonight's fiasco, making the Titans far more vulnerable," Raven explained.

"Won't he guess you would lie for that very reason?" Ai persisted.

"Yes, he probably has already realized, because he would do something similar. Heroes exploit the divide and conquer rule better than villains, given the chance. It's classic powerful alliance of villains you can't beat, so you play to their vices, causing them to turn on one another," Raven answered. She pulled out a small automatic, and after a moment's inspection tossed it into the scrap pile.

"The beauty, though, is Robin can't help how he is. He will guess my plan but having guessed it he will assume I knew he would knew and am thereby covering the tracks of an infiltrator by hinting at their existence.

"Two possible outcomes – Robin exhausts himself chasing shadows in his own tower, making my job easier and him vulnerable. Or, he gets caught in his investigation and the Titans might self destruct there and then," Raven concluded.

"Or number three, he finds an actual spy and you helped him," Ai added. Raven jerked Ai's head back to a forward facing position with a motion practiced to be fatal.

"What are the chances of that?" Raven dismissed the notion before grabbing a socket wrench.

_Titans Tower:_

There are worse ways to start a conversation than a slap that is carrying most of a person's weight behind it. Particularly since Jinx was a lightweight, which Robin knew for a fact.

The insults that followed as she stomped around the evidence room would be standard fare. Maybe a few more slaps and rude statements regarding his ancestry, and then she would demand some petty concessions before storming out to blow something up.

Except she wasn't storming around; having slapped him she had soundly deviated from his projections and stood there glaring at him.

"You piece of shit," she hissed. She took a step toward him and he was shocked to find himself backing into his table.

"You don't trust me, I get that. I won't play your game and bear all and for that I get labeled as dangerous. Fair enough I figured, irritating, but I get where you're coming from. Even though you keep secrets, keep your mask while trying to figure out my secrets.

"You're the real deal, so I put up with it however angry it might make me at times. But you're not – you are nothing but a hypocrite!

"You used us, all of us, even Starfire! You knew our weaknesses and used them against us!" Jinx screamed, getting in his face. She grew quiet, breathing deep; Robin saw himself reflected in her shades.

"Nothing to say? Aren't you going to tell me to suck it up or something? Or try and justify what you did? You blinded me, even if it was less than an hour. Transplants and prosthetics don't work on me, so you guessed that's what I was afraid of and not just a weakness," Jinx pressed on. Robin straightened up and she took a step back.

"I can't deny anything you've said, it's true. I could give the same excuses I gave to Cyborg, but I think you know what they would be already.

"So what now?" Robin asked. Behind their respective concealment they locked eyes. Jinx looked away first.

"I don't think I can do this Robin. I don't trust you with my past, and you don't trust me period, it seems. How does this work?" Jinx sighed.

"It's not that I don't trust you at all," Robin stated. Jinx frowned at that, and this time Robin had trouble meeting her eye.

"So I'm just the one you trust least? That's weak and you know it.

"I get that the League would maybe close the Titans down, so I won't harp on Red X," Jinx told him as she turned to go.

"Wait," the word was little more than a whisper but some force in it stopped her in her tracks. She turned slowly to see Robin kneel in the farther corner. Whether by circumstance or design she couldn't see quite what he was doing as something happened to the wall.

'A secret panel,' Jinx realized. Though she raised an eyebrow when he stood up with a metal suitcase that looked too big for the space he had covered.

He gestured her to the table as he sat the case down. It was average size she supposed, more of a briefcase, and emblazoned with Robin's symbol. A cursory glance indicated it was very secure.

"You wonder why I'm like this? And you're right about trust; it's not something I can do easily. I'll see you as possibly guilty until proven innocent, even though I know that's a backward way of doing things. I don't know that I can change, Jinx, even for the team. But I can give an answer," Robin told her. As he spoke he pressed spots on the case, revealing panels and scanners and passing each challenge before the case finally popped slightly.

His hand rested on the case, a final reflex to close it again perhaps? Instead he lightly rotated it enough to face Jinx, and retracted the gloved hand. Jinx found herself swallowing; this encounter was out of her hands. Part of her wanted to turn around and leave, let Robin keep his secret – did she really want to know what he had gone to such lengths to keep at hand but out of reach?

Yes, shamed as she was to admit it. Sliding her fingernails into the gap she eased it up and open. Looking at the contents she stood stock still for a moment, before reaching up and pushing her shades onto her brow.

"I don't understand," Jinx admitted. Robin reached over and picked it up; as he looked at it, free hand touching the dark frame, she was grateful for his mask. She didn't want to see something human in his eyes.

"My motivation, it drove me from Gotham and I brought it with me.

"Things can change quickly, as I'm sure you know too well. My growing pain came out of the blue, the harsh lesson that even with superheroes there can't always be a happy ending.

"I failed her Jinx, she needed a hero and I failed. I was all she had; she never had the chance for more. She never knew anyone else, was able to be with someone else. She was so afraid, even though she wasn't sure what she feared till it was almost too late.

"She deserved to live, to have a life. If I had been smarter, put the clues together sooner, it would have been different. If I had been stronger, faster, better, she would not have had to come _back for me. _A hero lays down their lives to protect the innocent, its not supposed to be the other way around.

"I couldn't even give her justice; Batman kept me from revenge and the courts…

"There were no papers, no forms, not even a photo. A sketch artist made this picture from my description. Clayface got away with murder because I couldn't prove Annie even existed, much less that she was more than an unattached limb.

"I can't forgive what happened that night. Not Clayface, and not myself. I will be good enough, because someone has to be. Someone has to be ready to save them from monsters, even if it means becoming one," Robin spoke softly.

He heard Jinx leave, no further words between them. Whatever she decided, he had done what he needed to do.

Robin didn't know if he was afraid or relieved to have told someone, but it was done. Soon Starfire would be here, but for now he was alone in the shadows, surrounded by headlines and with a memory held in his hands.

_Two Weeks later:_

Midnight stood in front of the imposing cylindrical device, the warehouse illuminated by the system her robots had installed. She didn't give the detonator a glance, swirling the red liquid inside the glass she held in her hand. Her attention fell to the others in the room as she upended the wine bottle in her other hand. The last of the liquid poured out into the bowl Razor held out from her spot kneeling on the floor before her owner.

When the bottle was emptied, Midnight tossed it over her head and raised her glass at the sound of it breaking.

"I hope you'll excuse the formality, but with this operation coming to a head I felt a little ceremony and appreciation was in order," Midnight announced. Guerra and Ai stood before her, the android holding her glass in mirror imitation of her master, while Guerra – in an impressive and absurd fashion – held the normal sized glass with ease in his large hand.

"Within the hour their fate will be in the palm of my hand, and I intend to wring until dry. To Operation Blackfire!" Midnight proclaimed. They drank deeply of the wine, Midnight draining her glass in a single gulp, and crushing it in her grip.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well another one down. This chapter went fairly smooth for my stuff. The only hitch really was the post-unmasking conversations. Sort of a deleted scene, since I felt adding it would break the pacing. If you're the sort to be curious on that sort of stuff, it will likely show up later in a different context and tweaked for said context change.

Well, I am thrilled bout the next chapter. "Blackfire" has been in the works and discussed between me, Zim, and the elusive Nocturne since before I started posting this story. There have been revisions and additions to be sure, and now it's finally going to be written beyond a few excerpts.

It's the big one, and it's finally at hand.

Sure, there's the finale for the next arc, and the overall story climax ahead, but this is a real milestone. It's both intimidating and stimulating.

After that we'll have an interlude to tidy things up before this story goes into off-season to get Queen, Hachin, and other stories moving again.

Oh and I may be posting a challenge on my profile soon, not for any of the fandoms I write for, its just an idea that is bugging me lately.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will enjoy what I have in store. Long days and pleasant nights to you all.


	13. Blackfire

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans, "Batman: The Cult" or "The Princess Bride". Or anything I have done shout outs to in this story.

**Betaed** by the diligent Zim'sMostLoyalServant.

* * *

"_Untune that string, take but degree away, and hark! What discord follows…"_

_-William Shakespeare_

**Blackfire**

_Months Ago: Philadelphia_

The night was bright and loud on the airstrip. Lights stabbed the darkness in harsh illumination from top poles and headlights of various vehicles scurrying about. Those same vehicles added to the noise filling the air along with chatter and the occasional roar of jet engines overhead and nearby. While she imagined it looked a bit like a kicked anthill, she couldn't imagine that being so noisy.

Raven stood, hands behind her back, watching the jet bearing the ARES logo move into place as a sharp cool wind struck against her. The weather seemed to be turning a bit, appropriate to the occasion, Raven thought wryly. Her attire was only altered to a longer skirt in concession to the elements; there was no point to power if you let the little things inhibit you.

Shortly this jet would take her west to Jump City, and her first true mission would begin.

It was exciting, but she could not deny the fear also twisting in her chest like some invasive worm. Even with her reemergence to the surface with the mask she now wore, her supervision had been constant. Freedom, however limited and conditional, was a stranger. And at least one matter her mother and father seemed to see eye-to-eye on was to tread with care in regard to strangers.

"Ma'am," Donald spoke up; he stood back and to her left, as was his habit. Raven turned to regard her ignorant bodyguard and followed his subtle head gesture to a surprising sight. Three men were approaching them through the wind kicked up by nature and the bustling of the airport.

Her father, and his own redundant bodyguards, had come.

The irony was not lost on her as he approached casually; she wore a mask here while he took his off. As good as he was at concealing the full extent of what he was, she did wish his true actions could go hand in hand with his true face more.

"Raven," he addressed her plainly. The respective bodyguards stepped back; they knew well the moments that demanded privacy. If they hadn't, they would have at best been let go a long time ago.

"Father," Raven answered with forced calm. She still lowered her eyes in respect, a habit Slade had seemingly deemed unnecessary to break. After all, it was a gesture she reserved for him, Raven thought.

She felt him looking over her, measuring as always. To think there was a time such attention would have bothered her, she wondered. Though an anxious whisper in her mind worried he was having second thoughts.

"I will not fail," Raven spoke up. He said nothing and her face lowered; what was there to say? Searching for some apology for what she knew not, her eyes widened in a rare display of total surprise at the feel of leather on her chin. Two gloved fingers lightly guided her chin up until she looked up into the face behind the mask.

"Go forth and conquer, my child," he instructed. The tone was plain enough, but the words sent a jolt up her back. She leaned into the touch slightly before the hand withdrew. Without another word or gesture, he turned his back and returned the way he came. And even his receding back was shortly obscured by the guards falling into step behind him.

"The jet is ready, Miss Wilson," Donald interrupted her thoughts. The smile she wore fell at the intrusion, but her game face slipped into place as she turned to the man.

"As am I," Raven answered, walking towards the waiting aircraft.

_Present Day, Titans Tower:_

"I don't think Cyborg is coming," Jinx spoke up. She and Beast Boy sat on the couch in the main room, the latter shifting anxiously while the speaker sat slouched. Beast Boy glanced over at the digital clock on the wall and tried to think of a stalling tactic.

"Screw this, I'll make the popcorn," Jinx declared, bolting to her feet. As the witch went over to the kitchen, the changeling leaned forward to pick up the DVD case, looking it over wistfully.

"I don't know, Jinx," Beast Boy protested weakly as he heard her rummaging through something in the kitchen.

"What's to know? Robin's gone turtle on us, and Starfire is doing some alien ritual to expel bad vibes from the tower, or something. And now Cyborg seems to be doing that whole 'I need my space' man thing," Jinx counted off irritably.

"I know, it's just… you can't have movie night with two people, it's a group thing," Beast Boy insisted, gesturing for effect.

"Two's not a group?" Jinx asked from the kitchen. He heard her set the microwave and groaned internally; microwave popcorn.

"No, two's a… a different word. Anyway, maybe we should just forget it? Try again next week?" Beast Boy stumbled over his words before recovering.

"No way, I'm having some fun tonight despite –_ in_ spite – of the others. And you're not going to scamper off to mope in your room on me," Jinx declared. She was a bit shrill, which meant arguing was hopeless, so he just slouched in despair.

Did she not have the eyes to see? ! It wasn't the same with two people. Well not entirely, he watched a good flick with Cyborg when they couldn't get the others to attend. But Jinx was a girl! He'd be watching a movie alone with a hot girl!

'Hot? Oh no, I've internalized it!' he shrieked internally, grabbing his head as Jinx sat the popcorn on the table, still in the bag even. She plucked the movie case from his hand and frowned.

"'Robot Pirates vs Ninja Cowboy III: Dusty Decks'? Where do you find this stuff?" the female-girl person asked him. This couldn't be his first date, the green lad howled to himself.

"Am I interrupting something?" an amused, and all too familiar, voice inquired. The two Titans froze, before lifting their heads to look at the big screen.

"It's her," that's all Cyborg had said when he intruded on Robin's isolation. He had stood in the doorway to the crime lab, which was practically Robin's quarters there days, while the Boy Wonder looked up from the files littered across the table.

It should have been frightening, or at least frustrating. In the end, the enemy was coming to him playing her hand, his efforts at perceiving her design all failures. But Robin found he didn't feel any of that as he walked down the corridor with Cyborg.

And what a marvel that was! All the avoidance and hostility evaporated, both shoving any personal matter aside for now.

Because it was game time, and they both suspected sudden death elimination.

Honestly Robin's first thought had been "at last."

The storm on the horizon was finally breaking over them – they would either come through it, or they would be broken by it. No more second-guessing or doubts, only the challenge to be answered.

He smelled popcorn when he walked into the main room, and it almost made him grin. The sheer absurdity of a mundane pleasantness when he was certain Hell was about to break loose. Oh yes, it was movie night wasn't it?

So it wasn't empty bravado as he fixed the image of Midnight on their screen with a steely gaze.

'I wonder, are you as eager to get this over with as me? No, I imagine you enjoy your role behind the curtain, pulling strings out of sight and emerging only to recede when the lights draw close. Well, make your move, because I intend for mine to be nasty,' Robin thought.

"Midnight," he addressed her flatly. There was a flavor of contempt he didn't bother to conceal; better for her to assume him in a worse state than he was.

"Good evening Robin, and to the rest of you Titans. As you've probably guessed, I have decided to throw down the gauntlet tonight.

"What's say we forego needless banter and move on to the main event?" Midnight asked rhetorically as the camera pulled back and she stepped aside to reveal Guerra next to a tarp-covered object that reached his massive shoulders. As Midnight resumed speaking, he pulled the tarp off with a flourish.

"I trust you are familiar with the principle of a Chronoton Detonator?" Midnight asked with a smile. The Titans reacted in their own ways.

Robin was silent save for a sharp inhale, stepping forward as if compelled to immediate action.

Starfire gasped, a hand coming to her mouth as her eyes widened in fear at the revelation.

"No," Cyborg whispered urgently, his eyes scanning the device hoping to spot some evidence to the contrary of her claim.

Jinx and Beast Boy stared blankly for a moment before Jinx gasped in imitation of Starfire. Beast Boy shot her a frustrated glare before grumbling about her not knowing what's going on either.

"I see the witch and mascot are clueless. Will you enlighten them, or shall I?" Midnight inquired sarcastically.

"Well obviously it has something to do with time," Jinx objected to the accusation.

"Such a device would destroy all the chronotons in a given area," Starfire told them, not taking her eyes off the screen. That failed to light recognition in the two Titans' faces.

"It stops time, permanently," Cyborg supplied grimly.

"Correct. Just imagine a single moment, stretched out forever. It goes beyond death; an entrapment so deep one is unaware of it. At least in theory – there's a shortage of escapees to inquire of," Midnight elaborated.

"You're insane Midnight; even assuming you could build one that works according to the principal, it's a danger to the one who unleashes it, a weapon without discretion or viable shelter from.

"It goes too far; even your fellow villains won't aid you if you succeed, and the League will hunt you to the ends of the earth," Robin declared.

"All this talk of my success and its consequences. Are you conceding defeat already? Well, either way, time runs out when the clocks strike my name. Run into the blast zone or flee to safety, your move Titans," Midnight retorted, before the connection went dead.

"This just got heavy," Cyborg stated looking at he darkened screen. Robin brought up the recording made by the computer of the transmission and began scanning it. The Titans glanced to the clock on the wall, 11:02 p.m.

"No, it's been high stakes from the start. But it looks like she gave us a glimpse of her hand," Robin told them as he zoomed in on a portion of the detonator.

_Beneath Jump City:_

Midnight breathed steadily as she sat on the cold bare floor, clearing her mind and feeling the flow of blood through her body. An exercise of calming and refreshing; she was ashamed to feel the need for it at this stage. She was supposed to be well past this.

At least her joints weren't aching; the lack of non-pill induced sleep had begun to take a toll on her. And when was the last time she had been able to enjoy a meal fully? She refused to accept it as simply nerves, but what other explanation was there?

At least with Ai around she could delegate some tasks.

Yet that image didn't leave her.

_Mother, the flames, and those eyes. The eyes and what came behind them always found Mother, and she witnessed bits of it between the inferno overwhelming her sight. It was impossible, yet it was. And ever at the last she felt those eyes lift from Mother to search anew._

_Violation and death, a fire that gives no light._

The sound of steel on metal roused her from melancholy. She opened her eyes to look up at Ai as the android approached.

"They found the warehouse. Razor is engaging," Ai reported in her empty manner. Raven rose and strode past the sentient synthetic.

For a time she had dreaded this; after all, it was bringing all the pieces together and destroying the balance she had struck in the city. She had even decided she would spare Cyborg's life, in payment for his entertainment as a racing rival and the intelligence he had unwittingly provided. They were her first personal enemies after all, the Titans.

Now she wanted an end. She was certain this shade that seemed to be hanging over her would lift in the face of triumph, and her return to Slade's side. It was tempting to drop the plan and simply ascend and end the Titans right now with her own weapons and skills.

But pride is persistent, and she would not throw away all this planning lightly. It was not what her father would do; he was stronger than any frailty that would dare assault him.

So wait for now, and let the plan unfold. For the Titans, pride was all that was forestalling their end, Midnight realized as she walked through the sludge clogged veins of Jump.

_Jump City Waterfront District:_

Razor was just as tough as Robin remembered. The metallic girl growled as she leapt, trying to reach Starfire, who kept barraging her from the rafters of the warehouse. Even with extended reach by her spikes, Star was in little danger. Case in point, Cyborg just nailing Razor with a sonic blast.

That actually seemed to hurt her, as Robin had guessed it would. But effective attack or no, this creature was naturally tough and trained, even if it was in a manner closer to a fighting dog than a warrior.

Fortunately, the Boy Wonder had not been idle regarding this eventuality. Firing off a cable, he palmed the jawbreaker-sized capsule and took flight. Razor saw through vibrations, but her hearing was keen enough to make up for a good deal of the blind spot the air created. Had she not been attacking a double-teaming of Jinx and Beast Boy covering one another, she would likely have evaded him, he conceded.

As it was, he guessed she took the hit believing she could handle it and preferring to focus on the annoying targets at hand. Know your enemy, Robin thought as the red capsule hit Razor's shoulder and burst, covering the bronze colored joint.

Robin disengaged the cable and landed to turn and face Razor as a spike broke through the goop, only for the red to bubble up the spike, coating it. The spike shrank, but stalled half way before slowing considerably.

Robin extended his staff, advancing on the mad Metahuman calmly. She made a vital error trying to rip the gel that had spread to her neck away with a long clawed hand. It cut five grooves into the goo but it filled before it spread, and now that goo was along her claws spreading onto that hand.

She whirled to face him, howling in anger. He only needed to block and retreat, as one hand was captured and bound while the other upper arm stuck to her torso. Still, her body erupted in spikes and blades trying to cut it clear and hastening the process.

It was only a pair of minutes before she fell, cocooned by the goo save for a few tendrils of the membranous mane probing the hardening substance.

"Was that…?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly, running his hand through his hair.

"An improved batch. All you have to do is get it cold or stand still for about a minute, and it hardens, stopping the spreading," Robin explained. He motioned to Cyborg, who flipped the now hardened cocoon onto its back. The Boy Wonder knelt down and withdrew a vial from his utility belt, pouring its contents lightly onto the face area.

Goo cracked, before a pair of tiny spikes erupted from it. Razor drew a deep breath before baring her teeth.

"You're welcome," Robin grunted before getting to his feet. She continued to snarl and growl, even letting out an angry howl until Robin brought the butt off his staff down on her temple. It rang like a bell, and there was silence.

"Robin, you already had her," Cyborg objected, looking to the still breathing but knocked out mutant. Robin scowled at that; if he really wanted to hurt her he would have left her to smother.

"No loose ends; contact the police to pick her up. The clock is ticking and we're out of leads," Robin reminded them.

"No worries dude, Midnight messed up once, she'll-" Beast Boy began before he felt hot under Robin's glare. He took cover behind Jinx as Cyborg frowned at their leader.

"She hasn't messed up yet," Robin told them sternly.

"But the reflection," Starfire spoke up, setting down on the floor.

"The bomb wasn't here, and Razor was waiting for us. She planted that "clue" for us to find. Her finger's on the button, and we're dancing to her tune!" Robin shouted, slamming his staff down to crack the floor.

He looked over his team as his face contorted with anger. Cyborg looked at him like he was a landmine, probably wondering if he should pull the rug out now or wait. Starfire looked concerned, and it was for him! Him, and not the impending disaster. And the green and pink duo looked nervous overall; they would probably want to call in help if it was their call.

'It's my call though, and maybe I should make it?' Robin wondered, taking a deep breath and resisting an urge to face-palm. Calling for help like a sidekick in over their head – he was certain he would rather die than do that at this point. But it wasn't just him, and could he even argue for his fitness to make such a call at this point?

He reached for the calm he had felt at the tower, but that had been before he knew the breadth of the blade hanging over them.

Then Starfire sneezed, startling everyone out of their thoughts.

And just like that the trail was hot again, and thought of aid from above slipped away.

_Shortly:_

The sewers – kind calls to kind, Robin speculated as they followed after Starfire and her exploding sneezes. This was the sort of ridiculousness, mixed with deadly seriousness, which only seemed to happen in this line of work.

Batman sealed himself in the dark not only for the practicality of the cave, but to better grasp the reality of those who dwelled in shadows. Like his totem, a predator that went through the dark hunting those that dwelled in it. It came down to being as a monster that preyed on monsters, a role his mentor neither fully embraced nor abandoned.

That was method of operation Robin had rejected; it had not been his desire to be as much an urban legend as a hero. Even today, most Gothamites regarded Batman with fear somewhere in the mix. Robin had built his legacy in plain sight, bathed in the light and surrounded by the sea that gave his city life.

But for all the symbolic rebellion his teaching showed through, as Cyborg had forced him to acknowledge. Just now he was about to scream that Starfire's sneezes all but broadcasted their approach. Snuffing those sneezes would be painful, but blast it he was tempted to ask it of her under these circumstances.

Another sneeze lit up the tunnel and echoed off the walls.

"I believe we're quite close now," Starfire sniffled.

"And don't they know it?" Jinx groaned. Robin was about to agree when he saw the tunnel letting out into a larger expanse. A wider canal that this was a tributary no doubt, and a likely means of transport if he was reading Midnight right.

He raised a hand for quiet before fading into the dark. He reached the lip of the tunnel and one of the knots in his chest unwound. The detonator and Midnight were on some kind of motor barge resting in the grey water. Assuming that was Midnight, the matter was less urgent; she wasn't suicidal. But it could be the robot…

No, there was nothing he could do about that, the priority was the detonator; Midnight could make off with half the wealth of Jump, but he would call it a victory so long as that detonator never went off.

Two of the ninja style robots stood on the ledge, removing a ramp that he presumed was used to load the bomb. Setting sail soon – Robin didn't think so. He glanced to the side, seeing his team was in place. A few hand gestures conveyed the tactics and they nodded approval.

Do or die, it was time.

Beast Boy went first, and Robin gave a silent count before bounding out, staff drawn and two birdarangs already cutting through the air. The reason he was the one to always say the battle cry was to draw attention to himself. The first Robin had chosen the loud colors to symbolize the utter confidence that his family trade had required, and it had been passed down with the title.

A green bee turned into a grizzly bear, already standing on the boat, forcing the armored girl back. The boat engines roared to life and bucked the bear onto its back. One of Cyborg's hands shot out on a cable, grabbing the aft edge of the boat.

He didn't even try and reel the barge in, instead trying to draw a bead on the engine with his cannon before being pulled over the ledge into the rancid canal.

Starfire blasted the remaining drone with a starbolt, while Jinx's hex blew off the head of the crippled one. The three Titans landed on the walkway, looking after the boat.

"Starfire, get-" Robin began before the wall exploded behind them in a shower of masonry. Starfire knocked Jinx down, shielding the less resilient Titan from the debris, while Robin whirled with his staff, spinning it to deflect the pieces of concrete.

This allowed him to catch the massive fist on the weapon as the dust cleared.

"We have to stop meeting like this Niño," Ricardo Guerra smirked down at him. Robin glared at the horned mercenary and looked at the shrinking wake of the boat from the corner of his eye.

The girls were up, holding their respective energy in their hands before Robin held out a warding hand that made them freeze.

"I'll handle him, go after the detonator," Robin ordered.

"But-!" Starfire objected as Robin dodged left from an overhead smash from the Metahuman fighter.

"Cyborg needs to defuse that bomb, and he'll need cover. The city comes first; I'll catch up. GO!" Robin commanded, striking the mercenary's kneecap to no effect.

Jinx glared at Robin before reaching into a plain pouch at her waist, and pulled out her broom.

"Catch up," Jinx told him, before mounting her broom. The witch zipped off down the tunnel, and after a moment's hesitation, and a slight nod from Robin, Starfire took off, joining the pursuit.

The sounds of Robin's fight were soon lost behind them as gunfire boomed ahead. Automatics, Jinx identified as Starfire drew up even with her. The boat was close enough for them to see Cyborg hauling himself onto the deck as Beast Boy tried to evade the Midnight robot. The saw blades sticking out of her arms kind of gave that away.

Starfire let out one of her sneezes, propelling her back as Jinx advanced. Looking back at Starfire just avoiding a swim in the sewage, Jinx shook her head.

"That'll be a problem," Jinx remarked. She looked back to her target in time to see the laser cannon rise from the deck and train on her. With a shout, she dove to skim the canal, rising to twist and spin about the breadth of the tunnel, laser bolts tracing her path.

A steel fist hammered on the barrel of the cannon, bending it nearly 45 degrees down. Cyborg turned away and took two steps before the weapon misfired behind him, metal shards pinging off his back.

The Midnight robot held Beast Boy up by the scruff of his uniform, a nasty cut dripping on his chest.

"So much for organic versus metal," it remarked cockily.

"Let's try metal versus heavy metal," Cyborg declared, charging the robot's back. Beast Boy was dropped to the deck as the robot turned to meet him, blades out and buzzing. Her chest opened and he raised an arm over the human half of his face.

The slugs fell off him until he was on top of her and the clip emptied.

"Ah, ah, ah!" the robot taunted, leaping back from his left hook to land gracefully on the railing. Displaying her blades, she assumed a stance, smiling, when a hex blast nailed her in the back. The blades stalled in her arms before the limbs themselves fell limp, smoke rising from the joints. Balance lost, she hopped down to the deck – and was caught under the shoulders by Cyborg; with a smirk and the sounds of tearing metal, the robot plopped to the ground, arms still held in Cyborg's hands. Beast Boy appeared next to Cyborg as Jinx landed at his other hand.

"Well, time to go," the robot spat. The hex blast hissed through empty air as the robot propelled itself straight up, and sank like a stone into the wake of the boat.

"We going to let it go?" Jinx asked, looking at the fading ripples as Starfire caught up at last.

"We have bigger fish," Cyborg stated, pointing to the looming detonator. Kneeling down before the device, Cyborg revealed the multiple instruments in his hands as Starfire killed the motor, having finally caught up.

**X X X**

Robin wanted to look at his watch; he knew roughly how much time had passed. Too much time to catch up with the others, but still he was wasting his time here.

Guerra laughed as he ripped off the cables binding him with his monstrous arms. They left thin trails of blood, but the merc was unfazed.

"You fight all tricky Niño, a pity she did not set Senor Cyborg as target," Guerra complained, flexing his hands before charging. Robin faded left, but the man was agile enough to alter his course, though not enough to block the kick to his ribs. Robin went gracefully over the grasping hands to deliver a powerful kick and twist clear.

'It's like he's made of stone, but I can break stone,' Robin thought as he extended his staff.

"Wihahaha! That's more like it! Oh, are we still playing with toys? At least Senor Cyborg has the excuse of all that metal being mandatory," Guerra scolded, wagging a finger at Robin.

"Be grateful you got me. Cyborg will disarm that bomb, saving this city, including you Guerra," Robin declared.

"Is not me, or your amigos in danger, Niño," Guerra smiled, taking a low wide stance.

Robin's eyes widened under his mask as the pieces suddenly fell into place. The nagging feeling since this fight started – a mercenary wouldn't lay down his life by fighting in an immanent blast zone. And Guerra knew the nature of the threat since he was there for the broadcast earlier.

So why? Answer, deception piled upon deception.

"What-? !" Robin began, before the dark wire tightened around him. His limbs slammed together under the force as the top most coil bit into his neck.

He could practically feel Midnight melt out of the darkness behind him, the end of the cord held in her hands.

"I'd say we have to stop meeting like this Robin, but it would be redundant. Good night," Midnight taunted. It wasn't electricity that surged through the cord; he realized that before the pain forced him to fight for consciousness. He realized it was a losing battle as the floor rushed up to meet him.

'Be safe,' the thought passed through his mind before the searing darkness took him.

"Checkmate," a girl spoke somewhere far away.

_Meanwhile:_

Cyborg kept his breathing slow and steady as he lifted the steel plate free, finally revealing the pale red glowing chronium core. Sweat was running down his face, and if they weren't mechanical he could have sworn his hands were shaking. The green octopus behind him gingerly took the plate, freeing up his hands. He could see the timer still, three minutes and counting to the big pause button being pushed.

No time to examine with what he knew; only five cables, one of them would disconnect the timer from the bomb saving the day, the others…

"How's it going? !" Jinx yelled, making Cyborg almost jump. Craning his neck around, he glared at the witch standing on the shore with Starfire. The girl with exploding sneezes and the bad luck girl were not his idea of a bomb disposal squad.

"Shut up! You'll know in a second!" he yelled, before turning his attention back to the task.

One of his fingers morphed into a cutting torch and he held it poised over the cables. His eyes and scanners played over the array, struggling to spot some hint that would reveal the magic number.

'This may be the most important choice you ever make Victor, save a city or doom it. No pressure,' he gulped, before taking a deep breath.

One minute and counting.

"Moment of truth all," he stated, cutting the second to the right. The counter stopped and he let out a sigh, then his heart skipped a beat as he realized that shouldn't have happened. The numbers flicked out to be replaced by a line of red flashing zeros.

"NO!" Cyborg yelled as the detonator started to glow and rise, unfolding from its shell. 'Failure,' he thought desperately, trying to find some way to stop this.

"We'll be frozen in time forever!" Beast Boy screamed, pulling his hair behind Cyborg. On the shore, Starfire gasped before Jinx glomped her.

The core started to spin as the lines of power illuminated and flashed; Cyborg closed his eyes and wondered what eternity in a second would feel like.

He didn't hear the boom, and should he still be thinking if time stopped? How exactly was this supposed to work? A clanging sound jolted him to open his eyes.

"What?" Cyborg slipped lamely. Before his eyes, the detonator sparked, with lines and cables fizzling and falling loose, whole segments crashing onto one another, giving it a lopsided appearance. Finally, the core cracked, steamed, and dulled as its energies dispersed on open-air contact.

"It was a dud?" Cyborg wondered, wide-eyed, still kneeling stunned before the wreck.

"Gahhh! I have so much to live for! I didn't get use the bathroom again! I'll have to hold it forever!" Beast Boy wailed, before Cyborg rapped a knuckle over his head lightly.

"What's the hold up?" Jinx asked through closed eye, still holding Starfire.

"It didn't work, it doesn't look like it could," Cyborg answered, ripping the device open without fear to examine it. Why would someone make a fake-

Jinx and Starfire yelled a warning, untangling themselves as a hatch sprang open behind the two Titan lads and something shot up. They hit the deck, only for nothing to happen. The Titans looked to see it was a pole with a clip on top holding a folded postage note.

Frowning suspiciously, Beast Boy snatched the paper and unfolded it.

"'Lose something? –M'?" he read.

_Six Minutes Later:_

"Oh no," Cyborg whispered as his beeping arm reached a crescendo. Starfire kneeled in front of him and picked up Robin's communicator from the floor. This area of the sewers was a wreck from Guerra and what looked like at least one of Robin's bombs; it was also silent.

"She was after bird boy all along?" Jinx wondered as the Titans stood on the battleground of Guerra and their friend. Both of whom had vanished into the night.

_Hours Later:_

Robin was bound; he had realized this immediately upon gaining consciousness. Arms and legs spread, firmly latched at the joints, each finger also restrained and flattened against a hard metallic surface. Backless though, either a hole on the surface or it was an apparatus of some kind holding him.

He was stripped down – the air was circulating and the familiar weights and contacts of his equipment were absent. Undergarments and his mask were left. The latter was quite difficult to remove if you didn't have the counter for the adhesive, but time had seemingly been on his captor's side.

"You've been awake for three minutes Robin, you can't fool me with a simple game of possum," Midnight spoke. Close, in front of him, and he hadn't known. Showing off on her part, or just like him, procedure. He hoped it was the first.

He opened his eyes to find her looming to his left. He was restrained at a 45-degree angle, a restraint across his brow keeping him from turning his head. He was only seeing her, a darkened ceiling, and the hints of some high tech equipment. What she wanted him to see.

"What, no witty remark?"

"The bomb was never real," Robin stated.

"Bravo, you have seen the trick after it's already been played!" Midnight clasped her hands together, voice high with sarcasm.

"What do you want? You didn't come to destroy the city, or hold it for ransom," Robin demanded.

"Ah, now the detective gets to the heart of the matter. You hope with you at my mercy I will reveal my true intentions, allowing you to find a way to thwart them if you escape my grip.

"Perhaps you think I will hold you hostage to your friends' behavior, allowing some tragedy or masterstroke to unfold? Or maybe coerce someone with your life? Or maybe torture those delightful secrets from your head, the secrets of your master the Batman?"

"All valid guesses and all wrong – from the start, you have never been an obstacle or an accessory," Midnight monologued, stalking around and out of sight. Was she at the head of the apparatus now?

"The goal?" Robin frowned.

"Good, you're putting together the steps to Operation Blackfire. Oh no, no, nothing to do with your orange hanger-on's naughty sibling. A coincidence, they do happen, but what I invoke is far from the stars and much more terrifying. Before your time, though you may remember what this country wants to forget.

"Only three men have left Batman defeated. The Black Glove, with all their wealth and connection, fell before the Dark Knight's ordained destiny – you can't cheat against a force of nature. No, you have to follow the rules to win against the champion, for the title to be up for grabs.

"Joker is the eternal rival, and Bane once beat power with power. But only one has ever sent Batman running and usurped Gotham from the Dark Knight and all his vassals. He overcame both the State and the Hero, proving one could do such things with a proficiency that begs to supernatural explanations. Who wants to think he could have done it and just been a man?" Midnight explained excitedly.

"The Deacon," Robin whispered the word. It wasn't to be mentioned; he had never asked and Batman had never told, nor Nightwing or anyone. Even the criminals would rather forget; one does not compromise on horror.

"Yes, Joseph Blackfire," she confirmed solemnly

"I don't understand, you aren't trying to do what he did, it's clear now Jump City was never your goal," Robin pressed.

"You're looking at the wrong achievement Robin. Not surprising; after all, the Deacon's greatest task was not crossing the finish line he established for himself. He wanted to rule Gotham and die a martyr's death while at the apex of his ambition, making him either very pragmatic or very crazy.

"But that isn't the point. Somehow the Deacon's Underworlders captured the Dark Knight; the Deacon claimed it as divine providence, but we know what that's worth. What matters is what the Deacon did in the sewers of Gotham, in that rotting ever night. He broke Batman to his will, just as he did to nearly every derelict in Gotham. Batman fought for him for a time until an encounter with the police set him loose from control.

"The Batman doesn't break, that is holy writ among my side. He and the Joker inspire fear as no others, implacable forces of nature that can be fought against, but prevailing is only possible by fleeing before the onslaught. Yet it happened, and Batman was driven from his city with the rest of them," Midnight proclaimed.

"It didn't last; he returned and destroyed Blackfire, the Underworld Empire vanished like a nightmare at daybreak," Robin growled. He wouldn't have a mass-murdering maniac glorified in his presence.

"Well put, the world would like to treat those days as if they didn't happen. But the fact is, for a few days the god of night was driven from his kingdom and a devil sat on his throne. Because he did the impossible.

"I'm going to break you Robin, a Bat Disciple. Not killed, like the second Robin or first Batgirl (1), but shatter what you are. And then I will display it before the world. And unlike the Deacon, I will be thorough enough that not even your master can put you back together again.

"There's the revealing monologue, too late for you to do anything. Now, let's get to it, shall we?" Midnight remarked cheerily.

With that, she pulled a small remote device from somewhere within the folds of her cloak and flipped a switch. There was a sound of moving machinery, and then Robin bit back a grunt of pain and surprise as several sharp objects – needles, perhaps? – pierced his back along the length of his spine and across his shoulders. Ignoring the mild pain, Robin returned his attention to Midnight, who merely smirked at his reaction, and then pressed a different button on the remote.

And then, there was only pain.

_?:_

_Beast Boy went to his knees in the darkness, reaching out to touch Robotman's still form. The orange metal was cold even through his gloves; that shouldn't mean anything, it was nearly always that way. But the darkness was deep, and having both feet on the ground didn't take away the vertigo washing over._

_"He's alright, I just powered him down," a stranger spoke. Wide green eyes looked up at the arrival. Mento stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the red light beyond. It was him, but not as he was._

_Red, red, always red…_

_He smelled the blood before he heard the first drop hit the floor. It lay there in successive tiny puddles staining the darkness. Mento took a step forward, the simple movement somehow an exertion. Beast Boy remembered to breath as his mentor approached, no less menacing but somehow more human with his limping walk._

_But the blood was still on his hands, dripping in his wake._

_"Why?" Beast Boy dared as Mento loomed over him and the unconscious robot. He couldn't see Mento's eyes, but he heard his breath catch for a moment._

_"Because he deserved it, because he would have talked his way out of it. Because it had to be me, for them," Mento whispered audibly._

_"That's a lie, you should have just-" Beast Boy tried to rise._

_"No, Garfield, _he_ was the liar. This is the truth," Mento interrupted, bloodied hands tightening into fists._

_"He wanted to play God, force people into the roles he envisioned and pass it off as fate. He doomed the Brain first, thinking to humble the vain and proud with dependency. All he made was a monster and he refused to learn the lesson._

_"The Chief didn't just doom us, we were the other one percent. All those others, dead or too broken in a way he couldn't use. All those lives, and ours too. We won the honor of being used till we needed to be replaced," Mento growled._

_"The Doom Patrol is more-" Best Boy cried._

_"Was; it's over. He's dead, they're dead… and I'm leaving," Mento sighed and started to walk._

_"Where?" the green boy asked quietly._

_"I'm going after them, Beast Boy. There are more, hands hovering over lives, moving them like chess pieces. For their games… It's wrong, whatever the reason, it's wrong. I will cut those hands off and cast them down among the pawns," Mento vowed, pulling his gloves off. He let them fall, ending the trail of blood as he faded in the darkness._

_"Wait!" Beast Boy cried. He came to his feet and for the first time he felt those piercing eyes upon him._

_"No, it's time you stopped following," Mento told him._

Beast Boy opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling. He felt oddly calm for rising from a vivid dream. It hadn't sacred him, but he felt like he was missing something.

Coming to a sitting position, he frowned till something caught his eye, a nearly obscured frame on the nightstand. Knocking aside an empty take out drink, he revealed the picture taken of the Titans on the Tower's completion.

"Stop following," Beast Boy whispered, coming to his feet.

No lunch, that was the first thing Beast Boy thought, walking into the main room of the Tower. He hadn't checked the clocks, but he knew it was a bit past noon from the light outside. He knew it was stupid, but it seemed cruel for it to be sunny out when tragedy was surely unfolding.

It wasn't that he had slept late, the opposite in fact; he had been the last one to take a break from the search to get some sleep for a few hours. He had hoped he would be woken to some lead.

He hadn't, and the air was tenser than ever. Cyborg sat on the couch, back to the door, cables from the computer plugged into him.

'Scanning for clues and probably investigating in ways I can barely understand,' Beast Boy thought.

The girls seemed to be waiting. Starfire paced the room, wringing her hands and staring at the floor so intently she didn't even seem to notice him. Jinx was sitting at the bar, headphones over her ears; she was still enough that with those sunglasses she could almost look to be asleep.

"What's up?" Beast Boy spoke up. Starfire stopped in her tracks, Jinx's head jerked in his direction, and after a moment's hesitation, the cables popped out of Cyborg to plop to the floor.

All eyes focused on the burliest Titan as he rose and turned to face the team. Closing his good eye, he shook his head.

"We need to keep searching! We're wasting time," Starfire cried.

"It didn't work before, why would it work now?" Jinx objected.

"What of your magic, can it not find Robin?" Starfire demanded, zipping over to the pink haired Titan.

"I don't know those kind of spells. And if Midnight has magic, she'll have countermeasures," Jinx replied.

"What good are you then? !" Starfire demanded, almost touching noses with Jinx, who shrunk back. Starfire went rod straight and took a step back, seemingly knowing she had gone a step too far. She turned to Beast Boy, eyes wide and vulnerable.

"You could find no trace?" she asked softly.

"If there was a trail, they covered it," Beast Boy gave the only answer he could.

"Not surprising – the entire bomb hoax, maybe even pushing Robin's buttons, was all so Midnight could get him alone and grab him without us being able to do anything. Here I thought she'd be _my_ problem," Cyborg muttered the last part.

"Guys, maybe we should… call the League. This is heavy, and well…" Jinx offered, tucking her feet under the stool she was perched on.

"Yes, Robin's return is most important," Starfire chimed in. Cyborg frowned and made to speak before a bang turned all attention to Beast Boy. The green youth scowled at the others, his foot still planted from the stomp. They were silent, taken aback by the unfamiliar demeanor of their friend.

"So that's it, Robin is taken and we go running to the big boys for help? We didn't sign up as some league of sidekicks! We've been protecting this city our way without the League, and if we go to them that's the end of it!"

"Beast Boy, this isn't…" Cyborg began.

"It IS the time for this! If we quit when it gets tough, what are we worth? The League, the heroes that started it, didn't become what they are by passing the buck when the stakes went higher than they wanted.

"It's just like when the HIVE crashed in here. We lose Robin and suddenly we can't wipe ourselves? Is this a team or a kingdom? Robin's had all our backs, even when we might have wanted him to back off; well, this time we can't expect him to turn up and fix things!" Beast Boy shouted. The other Titans looked at him like he had grown a second head, but he didn't care. He finally got what Mento had told him before casting himself into the shadows, the last lesson from a mentor to a charge.

'Even if only once, I need to step up,' Beast Boy thought furiously. He had them, now he had to use it.

"If we're a team, we need to come to his rescue, like he would for us. If we've done what we can do, what would Robin do?" Beast Boy told them. They were uncomfortable when he shifted it back to them, but at least they were thinking instead of swirling around the drain.

'Will I still be able to get away with being comic relief after this?' Beast Boy wondered sadly as Jinx made a suggestion.

_Beneath Jump City:_

The screaming had stopped; it had been him, so he guessed that meant he had stopped screaming. Why was that again?

Yes, the memory of cool liquid water. Something in his mouth squirting the water down his throat. Sustaining him, not enough to bring relief, but to ensure he would not expire.

Pain still coursed through him, but not _the_ pain. This was the aftershock, the abused whimpering of his nerves, a reprieve.

From the machine, Midnight's machine. Yes, it was coming back to him.

'Pain is the horse you cannot dismount; to do so is death. You cannot be rid of it, but you can master it. Rein it in,' Batman's voice carried across the years.

'I am Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, and an apprentice of the Batman. I need to get a hold of this!' Robin yelled to himself. He sucked in a deep breath, going through the steps as he remembered them, like walking to a familiar room.

'Success,' his thoughts cleared even as his body ached.

Bounds secure still, sweat coated his body. Weakened, stimulant patch in the belt would fix it likely. Not good for him, but a few minutes at full strength could mean salvation.

No belt though. No Midnight either.

Not here, was here before, talking with the machine? Talking to him?

The fake was full of fire. He thought it, but had no idea what it meant.

Focus, no drugs, thoughts clear too easily.

Good news – not a real Deacon recreation, drugs had been key. Abuse, starvation, repetition of propaganda, and drugs had broken the men and made Underworlders. Robin knew little, but more than he thought, it seemed.

Eyes still closed; may as well leave them that way. Think I'm weaker, you are never stronger than when they think you are weaker than you are.

She'll be back; she'll need to see to speak without the machine. Her master, yes, she had said something about being sent.

'She's the weak point, I must strike it,' Robin realized. She was powerful and she was the best route; this ended with him dead.

Bite his tongue off? Escape the torment and thwart her goal?

No, a duty exists, to them, all of them. Can't throw it away.

It was waiting, waiting for the long shot.

The machine hummed and once more pain was all he knew. Save for the one thought; 'she is weak,' over and over, his toehold on awareness.

_Nearby:_

One would expect the bathroom of a villain's base to be something special. Other than all the ceramic being instead metal or plastic, it looked just like a utilitarian version of itself.

Raven heaved over the john, mask sitting askew on the floor. Her armored knees left marks on the concrete floor as she twisted in anger. As she threw her head forward with the next spasm, two hands held her hair back.

Dry heave, less messy but more painful. Inconsequential pain; she had worked through worse – the action was the source of anger.

"What is wrong with me? !" Raven seethed.

"Violent regurgitation," a voice like her own answered. Armored hands pulled Raven's hair back as she assumed the position again.

"I don't require you to point out the obvious. It's the cause, not the symptoms I want to know," Midnight growled.

"Perhaps you are too weak to perform this task?" Ai offered. She took a step back as dark energy flared from the hybrid before dispersing.

"Remember your place.

"Though perhaps it would have been better to stick with the original plan, his head before the Tower to goad an ill advised attack to let the blood flow," Raven pondered, frowning.

"This will break them with less blood, a sublime assault at their very souls," Ai reminded her.

"I know; Robin is the key that holds them together. Break him and they fall apart, without even his death to hold them together. The alien returns to the stars sooner rather than later, Cyborg and Jinx go their separate ways with no one to keep them in check, and Beast Boy goes with one or the other. The Teen Titans destroyed in a clever and clear way.

"And I get elevated to the infamy of the greats in one swift stroke for that and the loss of Robin. You sold me on the plan Ai, don't recite it to me again," Midnight growled.

"It will make your father proud," Ai answered. Raven turned to look at the android/golem closely; that smile it wore… she didn't like it.

"He never taught me torture, only interrogation with psy and some roughing up," Raven confessed.

"Perhaps Slade thought you weren't ready?" Ai ventured. Midnight pulled herself to her feet, scooping up the mask as she did.

"It doesn't matter, it's too far to back out. Should have…" her sentence trailed off before she turned with a flourish of her cloak and left the bathroom.

Ai smiled after her, eyes aglow with red. Stepping over to the toilet, she kneeled before it, stirring with one finger before rising. Turning to the wall, she traced a design with the finger; it most resembled an ornamental S with some smaller symbols around it. Once completed, the stinking residue bust into a low flame, and light faded from the room, leaving her in darkness. Ai bowed deeply as she felt the distant gaze fall on her through the burning mark.

"Infernal Majesty, it proceeds as you wish," she reported.

_Jump City:_

The bar was doing a slow business in the daylight hours. Tobacco smoke hung thick in the air still, even as the tired looking youth scrubbed at the booths and tables, hoping to make good use of the slow business. The bartender cleaned a glass behind the counter, at ease and bored as the sole patron casually raised a hand for another round.

The server had good timing, emerging with another tray and a pitcher of dark alcohol atop a tray, her steps making an occasional squelch sound as the sticky floor tried to grab her shoes. The girl was not nervous; she had dealt with stranger patrons, and the semi-regular here was a stable commodity. Not a particularly good tipper, but a customer that didn't break the rules was a good thing. She was already retreating as he rubbed his gray hands together, taking a whiff of the platter on his table, when the door was kicked in. Everyone turned their attention to the door – not that such an entrance was unusual.

But they were surprised when none other than Cyborg came in from the shadowed alley, followed by three more Titans.

"Crap," the bartender muttered. The scrubber was already all kinds of gone, not that the barkeep blamed him; he didn't pay enough for this kind of trouble.

"Guerra," Cyborg called out. The massive merc popped a hot wing into his mouth and crunched it audibly, taking his time to chew and swallow, before rising from his seat on the floor to turn and face them.

"Aren't you lot under 21?" he asked, wiping his hands clean with a wad of napkins.

"Where is Robin?" Starfire demanded, coming to the front to glare at the mercenary. Guerra regarded her with apparent amusement before cracking his neck.

"If you want to fight, let's step outside, this place has good food," Guerra requested. Beast Boy walked past Starfire, right up to the large man, and looked up at him as an eyebrow was raised at his actions.

"You think you can handle us, and you may be right. But you know who Robin's connected to. You think you can take that heat and keep out of Purgatory?" Beast Boy told him coldly.

"When did you get a gourd? Not that it takes a lot to threaten calling on others to fight your battles," Guerra observed.

"Don't push us," Jinx warned next to Cyborg.

"Just try and push _me,_ chica.

"But just now I don't want a fight. Well, save a one-on-one with Senor Cyborg. But that does not seem to be happening.

"I don't know where your Niño is. Nor Midnight; she always called me to meet her. If I knew I wouldn't tell you, but I don't, so I can tell you that," Guerra confessed with a shrug.

"He's telling the truth," Cyborg affirmed, having read the mercenary's body readings for any sign of lying.

"If there's nothing else, I have my lunch to attend to," Guerra announced, returning to his table.

"What, no brawl?" Jinx asked, surprised.

"I only fight for sport or pay; I don't feel like the first, and my contract with Midnight is up. She seems to be loosing it a bit – never stick around when the jefe's screws start to loosen," Guerra told them, gesturing with a chicken wing that was absurdly small in his hand.

"We're just going to let him go?" Beast Boy asked Cyborg.

"He's a dead end, and we have bigger problems than to waste time on him," Cyborg confessed.

"Good luck, for whatever it's worth; I'll be south of the border when you're done," Guerra called after them, still smiling.

_Under The City:_

"I know you're awake Robin, there is no point in faking. I thought we had established that?" Midnight sneered somewhere in front of him. Robin opened his eyes slowly and saw her looming over him.

'Very good, make it easy for me to read what I can see of your face,' he thought,'I can smell traces of vomit on your breath, and see the lingering irritation in your eyes. This crosses a personal line for you; let's see if I can make you trip on it.'

'Never get cocky; expecting the unexpected is a contradiction. What it means is preparing for the worst even when skies are clear. In a fight with fists or between minds, always assume your opponent has something else,' Batman's graveled voice spoke to him.

'I can push buttons from here, but she can kill me if I do it wrong. This is defusing a bomb blindfolded,' Robin decided. He managed a smile and Midnight returned it.

"Ah, this is the part where you bring out your bravado. Perhaps tell me that compared to your training, the pain matrix is a Sunday afternoon in the park?" Midnight commented.

"Not at all, it hurts all kinds of ways. But I bet I'm hardly hurt. I've seen telepaths do this sort of thing, but not a machine using chemicals and the like. It's impressive, unlike you," Robin coughed out, getting clearer as he went.

"Get your story straight Robin – if you didn't consider me a threat, why risk tearing your team asunder to catch me?" Midnight asked him, rising back to her full height.

"Guess I just needed to get to know you more?" Robin gritted.

"Oh, witty banter is it? This is not something you can delay for your benefit; you are at my mercy, tended to at my leisure. I could go to bed leaving the machine on and if you went vegetable in that time, it's just tough breaks.

"Meanwhile, your friends are running around Jump like a bunch of headless chickens.

"Oh, of course that gets a rise. You self-righteous Atlas you," Midnight smirked.

Robin glared at her, but her face went blank at that, and worse she turned away, gesturing with her hand.

"It may have been inspirational once, but it's really just tired cliché these days – the gallant hero, willing to endure any torment but draws the line at others suffering even a scrapped knee. People act like it's selfless but I think its just vanity.

"It's a way for the 'real heroes' to separate themselves from self-prompters like Booster Gold or so many of those state sponsored heroes. Frankly, I appreciate their honesty. Most heroes in history before the current epidemic were ambitious and cutthroat. It was expected that they receive wealth, women, and kingdoms for their deeds. Heracles raped the Amazon Queen as payback after she beat him in open battle, for instance, and was hailed as a hero.

"Is that where Wonder Woman came from? It would explain why she is mightier than those other sanctimonious misandrists.

"But I'm getting off track; I apologize, but it's hard not to take advantage of a captive audience," Midnight apologized halfheartedly.

"Ha, ha," Robin grumbled.

"Hmm, that one wasn't intentional. Though I have a feeling you actually mean it that you care more about your friends getting hurt than yourself. It's still vanity though; unlike your mentor, you're ruled by fear, rather than wielding it.

"Batman is the one to fear; Superman, with all his power, is still something we can handle. The Big Boy Scout really is a divine prank – anyone else would use that power, but he insists on being a thrall to an ideal of all things. He could have saved the world years ago, but he doesn't want to.

"Your master though, he is the one that the dark fears – he turns all those lovely tricks of deception, manipulation, and intimidation back on their true owners. He plays for keeps, and the day he starts shedding blood in earnest will be a great culling for those who stand on the other side of the line."

"You know nothing. You see dark in everything and are deceived by assumption," Robin spat at her.

"I've been to Gotham, you know. Not to work, but in civilian guise. It was quite the thrill, knowing he was out there. The slight but persistent fear that just by setting foot in his city I would be drawn into contact with the Dark Knight and be caught in his net.

"Superman is enslaved by ideals; Batman is an ideal incarnated. You though, Robin, you are just a rebellious boy playing at being a man," Midnight condemned with an air of authority.

"You keep breaking out that line – it's personal, isn't it. Not me, but what we both are. You left a master to come to Jump too; you can't resist comparing us," Robin realized.

"Ah, now we are starting to get somewhere. Yes, like you I am an apprentice to a great man, though you will find me a more respectful and diligent disciple than yourself.

"We are such a fine contrast – male, female, bright colors, dark colors, human and Metahuman. It really lends credence to destiny that you would turn out to be in my path.

"You see, I have been apprenticed for some time, and it's time to move up and prove the time spent shaping me was a good investment. While you left your master out of ingratitude and defiance, I was sent here to prove myself."

"You're right, we are different where it counts – I actually learned something mattered more than his opinion of me. Tell me, did your master teach you how to torture people? 'Cause its not very impressive so far," Robin smirked.

Midnight looked down at him and smiled, showing a thin line of teeth. Leaning over him again, he had the strangest worry she was going to bite him.

'Well, you finally stepped on the tiger's tail Boy Wonder, congratulations,' Robin said to himself.

"You are impressive, despite being a disappointment. Still having such spunk. The matrix has been running at 50 percent till now, and you have put up an admirable resistance. I wonder if you will be able to guess how much I turned it up?" Midnight wondered. He didn't see her do anything, the pain simply sprang forth like a snake from under leaves and it was all he could do to ride it.

'50! ?' Was the last clear thought he managed before there was no room left for such things, and he screamed to try and make some room.

He didn't see his captor leave the room. Or see the double standing in the doorway as the original walked by. Ai watched Robin twist in the machine and smiled, eyes aglow. Turning to look after her false mistress, she decided it was time for the next step of the plan.

_Titans Tower:_

Life can be funny, and he didn't mean "ha, ha" funny. Well, maybe to someone, but there were times it seemed like a joke was under way and you were getting hit with the punch line.

Specifically, getting all pumped to track down the enemy holding your jerk-friend hostage, only for them to call you and give directions.

"No more games, come down to the end, I have your bird in a cage," Midnight's transmission had come into the tower. Cyborg replayed and retraced the message again with the tower's superior computer power. No efforts to cover her tracks, straight shot to a location on the outskirts of the city, and he was now detecting a beacon to what he assumed was an entrance.

The Titans stood in the common room yet again, looking at the big screen and half expecting it to say something else.

"You know it's a trap Star," Cyborg reminded the girl floating over his shoulder.

"There is no disagreement, but we must free Robin," Starfire answered determinedly.

"Well, we know it's a trap, that means something," Beast Boy spoke up.

"I think she knows we know, so our knowing isn't knowing much," Cyborg answered curtly.

"Uhhh," Beast Boy responded, his head tilting.

"Don't break his brain! He's already been burning more gas than usual," Jinx scolded, lightly smacking the green Titan's head back into position.

"Focus people! How do we fight on her terms and not only avoid a butt-kicking, but get Boy Wonder back?" Cyborg spoke up, turning away from the screen to face the other Titans.

"What would Robin do?" Starfire wondered, looking thoughtful.

"Star, she bagged Robin, that might not be the best place to go," Cyborg ran a hand through nonexistent hair.

"Hold on there, she may be onto something, just not far enough," Jinx pushed her shades further up her nose, getting a sneaky grin on her face.

"We should… dress up in Robin's spare uniforms?" Beast Boy guessed.

"You just can't keep cool, can you? What we need is to make this not on her terms. Cyborg, does Robin have…?" Jinx began to lay out her idea to the others as the sun began its slow descent to the horizon.

_Later:_

The young heroes walked down the darkened ramp with Cyborg and Star on point. The vacant lot above had yielded their entrance, a cement ramp and tunnel heading down into the earth. No traps so far, and no lights. Retreat also seemed vague. Though Cyborg and Star ripped the entrance open, the fading light had disappeared behind them with a clang.

Cyborg's shoulder lamp carved a notch out of the darkness while Starfire held a glowing hand aloft, lighting the way.

Jinx glanced about warily, following after the other two as a green wolf padded along beside her. Reaching into the pouch on her belt she rummaged hastily, her arm nearly vanishing up to the elbow before puling it clear with a long black flashlight in her grip.

"Best party prize ever," Jinx smiled, turning the flashlight on. Turning around, she shined the light back the way they came as she deftly walked backwards. She wasn't at it for long before she heard the others stop and turned around, flipping the flashlight in her grip. It was metal and heavy, a decent enough cudgel if it came to it.

"Well, end of the entrance," Cyborg commented, his light scanning the loading dock raised up before them as the tunnel evened out. A forklift was parked off to the side, and behind the dock was a standard looking giant metal storage door. If not for the setting, it would seem like a warehouse entrance of some kind.

"I was kind of expecting-" Jinx began, before a flare of light was reflected back on the Titans and something rammed into Starfire in a blur.

Cyborg whirled, illuminating the fight. Razor had her hands on Starfire's forearms and blood was running down from her grip. Starfire reared up and struck the mutated Meta in the face with a head butt. It rang like a bell, Razor seemingly unfazed as Starfire slumped back, apparently coming out worse for the exchange.

"Try this!" Jinx called out, firing a hex at Razor with her free hand. The purple energy struck the enemy squarely in the back, before bouncing off the metallic surface. With a yelp, Beast Boy dropped to the floor as the blast whizzed through the space he was occupying. The wolf gave a small growl, glaring at the witch.

"What? No one told me that happened," Jinx protested. Razor yelped as a new note was struck when the sonic blast hit her, sending her back but still holding Starfire. Releasing Starfire but not before giving the Titan girl a bladed kick, Razor leapt away. With a grunt, Starfire took the blade meant for a lung on her arm; it broke the skin before the enemy was falling back.

"Don't suppose anyone brought those gel things Robin had?" Cyborg asked. Razor was doing a creepy high-pitched barking, shambling between bipedal and all fours, running in front of the bay. That blast may have hurt her, but it seemed more a "p. o." anger than "got in a good hit" anger.

"Jinx, BB, you get past while we distract her," Cyborg said to the team.

Before they could answer the Meta charged, slung low to the ground, sprouting blades cutting chips from the floor. Cyborg lifted his arm and fired off another sonic blast; the enemy leapt into the air, barely evading the attack, but still clearing it. Her left arm swing out, a long sickle blade erupting below her rough elbow. Cyborg moved right as best he could with the second remaining. The blade aiming for him came within a hairsbreadth, as time seemed to slow, and in the instant that followed sheared the lamp on his shoulder clear in two, plunging the room into darkness, save for the circle Jinx illuminated.

"Switching to night vision," Cyborg stated, his mechanical eye flaring a moment while Starfire rose, making a new starbolt.

Beast Boy let out a sharp bark, drawing the lights to him as Razor leapt down to his right, striking out with a bladed fist. The wolf vanished and a starbolt streaked out to strike the Meta in the head.

"We don't have time for this!" Cyborg shouted as Razor faded from sight, Jinx's flashlight erratically searching the darkness. Cyborg let loose a string of blasts, prompting the other Titans to dodge as he seemed focused on a target only he could see darting around and among them.

"Get a grip!" Jinx yelled as she dropped her flashlight, diving away from a sonic blast.

"Dang," Cyborg cursed in the darkness. The light of his eye moved around slightly and the other Titans realized he must have lost sight of Razor.

"You two get going, Star and I will take this mook; you two won't be much good here," Cyborg commanded.

With a 'whoomf', shielded light fixtures far above their heads suddenly boomed on, revealing the loading dock in its industrial austerity, and Razor clinging to the ceiling above the knot of Titans.

"Shit!" Cyborg cursed, putting a hand to his eye at the sudden change in lighting, while a green owl on Jinx's head gave a similarly discontented hoot.

A motor began to hum its low tune nearby, and with a silent grace the massive door slid to the side, revealing a broad corridor behind it, illuminated by faint lights. More concerning was the figure standing just behind the door, smirking at them like the cat that swallowed the canary, black cloak covering her.

"Midnight!" the Titans stated as one, turning their attention to the greater threat.

"Not quite," the villain remarked. She cast her cloak back, revealing an incomplete left arm that ended below the elbow with dangling wires and cables.

"The robot," Beast Boy realized.

"The name is Ai, and sorry for the rough welcome – I forgot to put the dog in the kennel," Ai gave a mocking half bow. Putting a finger to her lips, she blew out, making Beast Boy wince and Razor drop from the ceiling to bound over to her. The Meta kneeled before the android expectantly; if she had a tail, Beast Boy suspected it would be wagging.

Starfire watched the impostor carefully and felt her hairs rise when a smile appeared on its fake face. She almost cried out before the android tapped Razor on the forehead. The metallic girl swayed and collapsed to the side, smoke rising from a scorch mark where the finger touched her.

"There now, this is what you need. X marks the spot simply, my mistress will be entertaining this evening and your companion is already sampling the house specials," Ai informed them, stooping to deposit a rolled up blue sheet on the floor. Without a further word, she turned and ran, seemingly vanishing into a wall before a rumble and slam seemingly closed whatever hidden passage there was behind her.

"This doesn't seem right," Beast Boy frowned as Starfire gingerly picked up the marked blueprint from where the robot left it.

"Got that right," Cyborg agreed, lingering by Razor and giving a sigh when the scanner in his arm confirmed the unstable Meta was still alive. She was a capture priority, but they had a ways to go before daybreak.

_Minutes Later:_

'The door blocks my scanners, everything here does. Not surprising no one knew about this place – I can't even position where we are with surface contact cut off,' Cyborg thought as they stood before a metal doorway set in a Spartan hall of concrete with bare pipes hanging over their heads, naked light bulbs providing illumination.

'Either Robin's behind this door or it's a trap. Could be both. No, it's too much trouble for just a quick thing; she wants to toy with us like always. Just have to hope our rabbit is bigger when the hands come out of the hats,' Cyborg decided. With a bit more force than necessary, his thumb smacked the red button next to the door, sending it sliding out of sight.

"Robin!" Starfire cried. She caught sight of him around Cyborg's frame and pushed the larger Titan aside in her hasty launch past him into the air.

It was Robin and it didn't look good; he hung limp against an x-shaped platform across the massive room, sagging against the cuffs holding his limbs in place while an insect-like machine attached to the rear of the platform sprouted needles that pierced his back in multiple places. But he stirred at Starfire's cry, prompting the other Titans to move in, glancing about at the cavernous chamber, pipes hanging overhead, large and twisting like the innards of some beast.

"Titans?" Midnight's voice called out with… surprise?

"Stay back! We're the targets!" Robin bellowed raggedly. His voice was hoarse, spent; more than his dogged appearance it set the Titans and the halting Starfire back on edge.

"What brings me so many colorful guests?" Midnight demanded, rising from the floor amidst dancing shadows to stand by the trapped Robin.

"You called us here, stop playing games!" Beast Boy demanded angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the villain.

"Hmm? Oh… that metal bitch," Midnight scowled, crossing her arms. Her eyes narrowed and she stared intently past the Titans through the doorway before her gaze shifted to the heroes before her.

"Well, you are here, and I'm not entirely unhappy about it. As fun as the cloak and manipulation is, what I want right now is to prove I can dominate head on as well. Any last words before we begin?" Midnight inquired dully. Her hands vanished to her side as her cloak fell forward, concealing what she was reaching for.

"My name's Victor Stone, you killed my father," Cyborg declared. He took three steps forward, passing Starfire, putting the Titans at his back and meeting Midnight's puzzled expression.

"Pardon? I've killed a surprisingly small number of people, despite my trade," Midnight retorted.

"Founder's Park, Steel City, when we were both kids," Cyborg pressed, his voice steady but still unnerving to hear. Beast Boy looked at him with surprise, along with the other Titans. Midnight drew in a sharp breath as her eyes widened in recognition.

"You do remember," Cyborg stated, as calm as the moment before the storm.

"Of course; it's the only life I truly regret taking, a turning point in my life. Yours too, it would seem. What are the odds after all this time?

"Are you going to tell me to prepare to die? Has the son come to avenge the father at long last, having grown into a warrior fit to slay the beast?" Midnight queried. There was no trace of mockery; she seemed wary and a little curious at this turn of events.

"No, I'm not an avenger, and you weren't the monster that day.

"A younger me would have given anything for a chance to kill you, and worse. That day brought out the worse in me and it took nearly getting killed to get the damn point," Cyborg explained sadly, the tension seeming to leave him.

"The point?" Midnight blinked, as surprised as the Titans.

"I was angry at my father; he always put others first and he believed in me, and that meant he looked out for others before his son. I didn't get it when his last words were telling me it wasn't your fault, I just saw him ignoring me as usual. Now I get it, and I know revenge would be the worst way to remember him," Cyborg declared, his voice growing stronger.

"Touching; as I said, I do regret that act. Turn around and leave and you will be spared, my mission does not require your death," Midnight rallied her composure and pointed the way back with a raised arm.

"HELL NO!" Cyborg yelled, sending the other Titans scrambling while Midnight sighed and cocked an unseen eyebrow.

"You were innocent then, but you made bad choices since, just like I did! But while I got my act together, you're kidnapping people and attacking the city! I'm not looking for revenge, but that doesn't mean I'm handing out passes! And I sure as hell ain't leaving my friends high and dry!

"So either surrender right now or get ready for some butt whooping!" Cyborg yelled at the top of his lungs. Silence fell over the room, broken by his deep breathes, and then slow clapping as Midnight brought her gauntleted hands together in front of her.

"What a stirring declaration; maybe I'll post it on the Internet in memoriam?

"If there are no further revelations, what say we begin the Dance Macabre?" Midnight drawled, undaunted. Lightly grabbing the edges of her cloak, she threw it back over her shoulders, revealing her armored frame. She was wearing Robin's utility belt; out of place on her dark color scheme, it glared like a trophy and they didn't notice the metallic cylinders resting against her thighs until she pulled them loose.

'Lightsabers? !' Beast Boy thought in panic as she held the cylinders out in front of herself.

When the bottom ends opened, it wasn't a blade of light that erupted out, but a thin cable that descended from each to silently pool on the ground. Reversing her grip, she held the weapon upright and with a smooth motion made a condescendingly experimental strike with her left arm. The cable flung out and struck the floor with a crack, leaving a white scrape mark on the cement.

"Whips? Who uses whips?" Beast Boy objected, waving his arms.

"I don't know, I guess with that outfit it might be kinky?" Jinx grinned mockingly. Midnight did not respond, though shadows surged from her hand to flow down the length of the weapons. Fully en-scrolled, the shadows seemed to coalesce and adhere to the cables, thickening like stray shavings of darkness in the light.

"I'll lead, you be the women," Midnight grinned tightly. She advanced at a brisk walk, striking out with both whips at Cyborg, who jumped back as the whips bit into the ground, sending chips flying and leaving gashes in the stone as they retracted.

Cyborg had to throw himself on his back as the two whips closed in on either side. The left one was quicker, carving a notch out of his chest plate before he fell down and out of contact. With a jerk, she pulled the deadly cables whirling back, where the left wrapped around an arm while the right encircled her torso before she lashed it out again. Her own power didn't seem to harm her; maybe she treated her armor for it, Cyborg thought in the moment before the right whip started arcing down for him. He rolled away, but he didn't hear it impact.

Eyes blazing, Starfire had swept over him and with a glowing punch smacked the whip aside. The weapon recoiled at the hit, only to pause and, swinging anew, wrapped around the offending arm.

"Hmm," Midnight hummed. Darkness spread along Starfire's arm, and with a twist of her wrist the villain sent the whip and Titan hurtling into the wall. Dust rose from the impact as the whip snapped back and wrapped around its mistress again.

Cyborg rolled to his feet, cannon forming, and let loose a sonic blast at the enemy, who causally sidestepped the attack and sent her left whip at him with contemptuous ease, letting it carve up a path as it rushed towards him. A shadow loomed over Midnight, and she turned to see a green grizzly towering over her, claws bared. A clawed paw swiped down with a roar and the bear's eyes widened.

"Really?" Midnight remarked, her forearm pressed against the blocked pad of the paw, her stance barely shifted. A metal boot struck up like a viper into the bear's stomach. With an 'oof', the bear was replaced by Beast Boy, the next kick aimed at his chest sending him hurtling as she took a few steps back, again putting herself between them and Robin.

'Break the whips,' Jinx thought determinedly, eye glowing under her shades as she unleashed a pent up double hex blast. The purple energy burst from her hands, forming into a single comet like form as it surged across the room. Midnight swung her left arm; the appropriate whip formed into a mid-air coil and seemed to harden into a disk held in Midnight's hand by the shadow-less handle. The blast broke against it and the purple energy danced across the disk's length for nearly a second before being swallowed by the darkness.

"Pathetic witchcraft," Midnight chided.

Cyborg charged, rolling to his feet, a panel on his chest sliding open to reveal a light that flared into life like a spotlight as she turned to him. Her eye snapped shut as he fired another sonic blast and launched a taser cable from the other arm. He skidded to a halt as the blast struck home and the cable went taut in the dust cloud.

Cannon at ready, his eye began to scan the scene, registering the whip coming at him slightly too late. The whip coiled around his cannon and lifted him off the ground as Midnight stepped out of the dust unscathed, the other whip in an already unspooling disk.

"I don't think you lot are taking this seriously. Maybe you need some motivation; one hundred percent output, Midnight confirmed," the villain called out. There was no build up; Robin just started screaming behind the villain as if he was on fire.

"BIITCH!" Cyborg bellowed.

"Language," Midnight scolded. Tugging on the whip, she sent Cyborg crashing to the floor, segments of his arm falling around him as the whip tore clear through the prosthetic.

"Beast Boy!" Jinx called out, watching the fight from a kneeling position. A green bat flew down to land in her outstretched hand. She gestured up with her chin and received a nod in turn, before it flapped off and she stood, watching as a frantic Starfire was restrained mere centimeters from Robin by Midnight's whips.

"So close, but… you know the rest," Midnight remarked, swinging Starfire around like a lasso to collide with Cyborg as he got to his feet. Midnight looked to the two tangled Titans and watched Jinx advance with hands aglow.

"I was right, without Robin you people aren't much. You couldn't beat the HIVE without him, what made you think you could even draw a drop of my blood? I mean this is just sad; what are you going to do after your best shot already fizzled?" Midnight sneered, letting her whips rest, crackling on the ground as her arms were raised ready.

"For a smart girl you sure are dumb," Jinx stated, shaking her head. Midnight blinked, surprised at the non sequitur.

"It's a bit late for trash talk," Midnight remarked, rolling one of her shoulders, regarding the witch with mocking pity. A whistling reached her ears, and her arm rose to deflect the projectile aimed for her head. It pinged metal against metal, but did not plop to the ground, instead hanging imbedded in her armor, black on black.

"What?" Midnight exclaimed. A burst of shadow sent the projectile aloft from her arm, falling with a metallic plop to lie still on the floor. A thing of black sharpened steel, formed into an unmistakable silhouette of a bat in flight… a batarang, she realized with a sharp breath.

"No," Midnight whispered, a swish of cloth turning her attention to the pipes above, an edge of a black cloak disappearing from sight.

'No, he wouldn't abandon his city unless they called for help! And they wouldn't call for help! I analyzed the data and played out the scenarios, he wouldn't come!' Midnight began to sweat, looking up. A super powered punch caught her square in the back as Starfire plummeted into her at full tilt.

Growling, Midnight rolled away from the punch, peeling off to the side, gaining traction with her feet and catching Starfire's foot with a whip, hurling her into Jinx. The witch managed to catch her fair enough, letting Midnight turn her attention back up.

"Did you think big daddy wouldn't keep tabs? If anything could get him to drop everything wouldn't it be crap like this? Reap what you sow, bitch!" Jinx called out tauntingly.

Midnight scowled, aware of the sweat going down her neck. She glanced to the matrix; Cyborg was tampering with it, trying to turn it off or free Robin, whose screams still echoed over the battlefield. No matter, an exhausted Robin was no contest with the real danger; with a shadow-enhanced jump, Midnight leapt up into the pipe work.

Delay was no option; every second the battle lasted, Batman would come closer to figuring out the perfect way to defeat her. A voice in her head urged flight, saying it was already too late. That was hardly an option though, as she stood narrowly atop a broad pipe, scanning her surroundings with deceptive calm.

'Father said if I ever met the Joker to flee immediately and contact him. This is the man who beats the Joker,' Midnight thought. Suppressing a gulp as she searched for some sign of her opponent while not expecting one.

A creak to her left sent her facing that direction, one whip held ready, the other coiled about her arm. She stood at the ready, hearing only Robin's screams below, echoing strangely off the metal around her.

'That's his motivation screaming in our ears,' she noted, advancing steadily in the darkness, ears trying to pick out faint noises under the background. A machine kicked on somewhere nearby, setting the pipes to vibrating slightly, the dull throbbing further covering sounds as a batarang whirled from the darkness to her right. Ducking it, Midnight leapt towards the danger, whip lashing out, cleaving through metal and sending a mess of sparks and steam into the air. A second strike sent segments of their mutual footing falling to the floor below.

She scanned the area around her handiwork, seeing nothing as steam billowed about the hole she had made.

Nearby, Jinx hid behind a large vertical pipe, delicately tucking her broom on a harness on her back. It was unlikely she would get a quick escape, but the opportunity might occur.

With a precise shake of the head, Midnight threw back her hood; the loss of peripheral vision was slight with it up, but no handicaps could be afforded at the moment. Still, it was a concession, and that irked her despite it being a rational course.

She paused, her stance like a spring ready to react as her whips dangled, their tips sizzling as they slowly ate through the pipes they rested on.

Knowing the enemy was key to victory, but she knew this one only through rumor and secondhand sources from study compared to other prominent figures. That was curious; perhaps her father had never meant for her to face him so soon? Or had he expected her to delve deeper on her own?

She could only use Slade as a scale to compare against. Against an opponent with a long, deadly reach, and training to use it well. The target being aware it is hunted and wary. What direction would he…

ABOVE!

She hadn't even finished the thought before she swung her whips up overhead, setting them to wrap around as many pipes as she could reach and tugging them into constriction. Two seconds of creaking as she poured power and strength into the attack, then metal was raining down around her. The debris phased through her as the apprentice reeled her whips back in, eyes frantically probing the chaos for… there, a black shape falling just to her right.

The whips were forgotten as older training kicked in. A small jump, then launching off a still skittering hunk of debris with sufficient force to send it crashing away. Turning her body into a powerful kick, she would leave herself vulnerable for a counterattack. Irrelevant, since being counterattacked at all equaled defeat in this scenario; one shot to take the initiative was the only chance.

She smiled as her boot connected with black cloth and muscle beneath, sending the mass flying down amongst the debris-littered piping. The relieved smile sagged into a confused frown; she had gotten a good kick in against the Batman?

She landed with a clunk, two dents around her feet marking the spot as she advanced on where her opponent slowly rose, propped against one of the large pipes – dented by the impact – she had been attacking from earlier. The light from below filtered up as the clanking of the still falling pipes joined with Robin in the background.

It was indeed a reasonable cape and cowl, worn by a green ape rubbing its stomach, watching her approach. Midnight stopped, and after a moment realized her jaw was hanging open, snapping it shut with an audible click. The ape grinned before returning to Beast Boy's true form, pulling the cowl off as if it was any kind of disguise.

"How do you like the mind games now?" Beast Boy beamed at her. Midnight glared at him, and for a moment he could swear her eyes turned from purple to red, before she raised her right whip and held it ready to slice him in half.

Something hit her in her back, sending her forward a step. Arms wrapped around her waist, seeking purchase before Midnight tried to backhand the attacker with the pommel of her whip. A hand caught the stroke and the follow-up from the free hand as the yellow belt fell by Midnight's feet and slid from the pipe to fall to the room below.

With a deep growl, Midnight whirled, breaking the grip and digging into the offending palms to leave blood on the whip pommels as she turned to face the enemy crouching on the pipe.

"Jinx, you tried to tackle me?" Midnight spat. The left whip lashed out angrily, cutting the air above Jinx's head, and severing her hair horns neatly. Midnight took a step back, keeping both the kneeling witch and the now standing Beast Boy in her sight.

"Unimpressive. Even the best plan is worthless if you fail to get a worthy prize," Midnight sneered. Then she realized they didn't look worried and smelled a familiar smoke. Electronic fire? She looked to her hands, where purple sparks played over her whips handles as thin trails of smoke rose from nearly invisible seams.

Midnight tossed the weapons away towards her opponents as the sparks flared brighter. They were still closer to her when they exploded in blinding purple light, shattering the scene.

The pipe-works fell in a great collapse, weakened by their owner and finally broken by the destruction wrought by Jinx's magic. Midnight landed with the assurance of a cat, not even falling to one knee. The metal falling around her harmlessly phased through her as she strode through the destruction, searching for her goal.

The mass of green was noted but not registered until she saw the pink under the said T-Rex, taking shelter. She was flying, the T-Rex only turning a wide eye on her as her kick connected, sending it falling and shrinking.

The metal wasn't falling anymore; nothing between her and the witch as a shadow cloaked hand batted aside a hex blast. Her knee sank into an unarmored stomach and she grabbed a fistful of sheared pink hair. Midnight pulled the attached head down to meet her rising armored knee on the chin. A loud crack rewarded her as she watched the jaw break, almost shatter even?

"Take a bow, witch," Midnight smirked, pulling Jinx back up for a repeat as a shadow blade sprouted from the offending knee.

"Reamm," Jinx spat blood at her.

'Reamm? Scream? Why would…' Midnight wondered, before she noticed something.

Robin wasn't screaming anymore.

Midnight turned her head to look at the pain matrix and the lack of agonized noise. Sure enough, the matrix was empty and someone had done a halfway decent job of smashing the automated arms in it. Cyborg was on his knees with his back to her; she spotted Robin's feet around him, probably getting some kid of first aid. In front of her ruined device, she saw Starfire wringing her hands, watching Cyborg before turning a fleeting look to the villain.

Midnight released her grip on Jinx's hair and backhanded the witch as she turned, cracking her shades and possibly nose. Starfire turned fully, baring her teeth as Jinx collapsed to the floor while Midnight turned her back on the Titan. Midnight looked at the angry alien, then at Cyborg and what lay beyond, and started walking.

Starfire leapt into her path, spreading her arms in an unmistakable gesture of protection. Midnight stopped, several meters still separating them, to look evenly at the Titan girl. She was trembling; it looked like she had even been crying.

"You will not harm my friends anymore!" Starfire screamed at the armored hybrid. Midnight looked impassively at her, then glanced to Cyborg and Robin, and turned halfway to where Jinx was on her back holding her jaw and profusely bleeding nose, Beast Boy only just stirring.

Midnight let out three barking laughs before grinning like a wolf at the last Titan standing.

"It cost two of your friends to just disarm me, and unfortunately for you, my master made me into the greatest weapon in my arsenal. And now the only thing between me and passing is a girl who looks ready to cry at any minute.

"Once I am done with you, I will kill Robin as I should have done from the start, then the witch, and maybe see if the rest of you have Robin's tolerance for pain. Though I will have to leave at least one of you well enough to tell the tale, I suppose," Midnight explained, pointing at Starfire.

Starfire's eyes narrowed and Midnight's smile vanished at what she saw in them. The Tamaranean's fist started to glow green, followed by her eyes as she rose from the ground.

"No more," Starfire whispered fiercely through a deep scowl. Her face tightened as a spot of blood appeared in the center of her green eyes and grew until her eyes glowed crimson and her hands flared higher in that same color.

"What?" Midnight slipped, taking a step back. She had no data on this.

Fueled by killing rage, Starfire shot across the distance like a bullet and landed a crimson fist on the enemy's brow. Midnight was hurled back over Jinx, hitting the far wall with a crunch of concrete, a shadow springing from her back and taking some of the impact.

Flexing her arms, she came free from the small fissure to land on her feet, a crack nearly splitting her mask. She shook her head and went intangible as a roaring Starfire tried to kick her. The blow passed through her and she planted an elbow into the Titan's stomach, driving her back. Starfire answered with a blazing right hook that Midnight stepped away from. The villain watched in surprise as a stray lock of her hair burned, connected with that aura.

'Powers linked to emotional state,' Midnight recalled. She caught an overhead strike on her forearm and punched the Titan in the face, sending her staggering back a step.

'I can't phase through those charged punches, eh?' Midnight thought. She felt a tingling in her arm, heat, she wondered, taking a few steps back.

Starfire charged forward on her feet, roaring, hair floating up behind her as she charged a crimson starbolt and let it loose a few paces from Midnight. The villain raised her arms and shadows sprung up on them, blocking the attack, as her shield burned like paper under the bolt. Starfire's charging punch, aglow again, connected below her right wrist, sending it back to clang into an armored cheek.

Midnight was knocked off her feet, and fell through the floor. Screaming, Starfire punched the offending floor, cratering it around her fist. Huffing, she pulled herself up. A steel heel covered in darkness struck the back of her head, sending her to her knees.

Midnight stood behind the kneeling Titan, flexing her right hand and looking at the cracks along her armor.

'Burns, light but through my armor, is this red stuff radioactive? No more games,' Raven decided, stepping forward and raising her good hand. A tug on her right arm stopped her; she looked down to see a shadeless Jinx glaring at her with her one eye aglow, as a pair of hex blasts discharged right into her armor. Midnight almost stumbled from the crushing sensation on her arm.

"Enough!" Midnight hissed, flinging the injured Titan aside. The motion also sent fragments of armor flying off her arm as well. As Beast Boy caught Jinx, the villain watched most of the armor fracture and fall off her arm, the gray skin below tainted by angry pink where it had been struck through the metal.

Jinx was on her knees, panting, as Beast Boy stood, shifting into a tiger and growling at the advancing villain radiating darkness. Claws bared he leapt at her, right into a shadow coated arm coming up to hit him in the chest. Reverting, he was grabbed by the neck in her bare hand.

"You go first then," Midnight told his glaring face. Something warm cupped her shoulder and she turned to see a pair of glowing red eyes; pain exploded in her arm as Starfire grabbed it with a glowing hand and closed her grip into a fist before twisting. With a pair of snaps, Beast Boy fell free as Midnight's forearm bent down and away from the shoulder.

"Gyaah!" Midnight shrieked, before Starfire planted a fist into her stomach, bending her down, then hit her unprotected chin with an upper cut. A wave of shadows burst from the armored figure, driving the Titan back even as the shadows she touched burned.

The villain hissed, shadows dancing across her as her arm hung dangling grotesquely. Falling into a stance, she sprouted a blade from her remaining arm and charged ahead at the berserker before her. Ducking the answering crimson hook, she went low, sweeping the alien's feet out from under her. The same motion planted a shadow coated kick in her stomach, eliciting an 'oof' from the Titan.

With a war cry, Midnight lengthened the blade and struck down towards the chest below. A red hand grabbed the blade, fingers sinking into it, and yanked it to dig into the floor. The shadow dispersed as the villain tried to pull back, only for her fingers to be caught by the other hand, pulling her forward into that burning grip. She broke that grip, and then her wrist was seized. She watched seemingly in slow motion as another red fist burned enough her shadow to strike the shoulder joint of her armor like a freight train.

Metal and bone shattered with a frustrated shriek as her arm bent the wrong way at the joint. In a whirl, Midnight was free, stomping Starfire's face before dancing away.

The enraged Titan got up, wiping away the blood pouring from her nose contemptuously, eyes focusing on her quarry.

'This is preposterous; she's not the freaking Hulk! How can my arms be broken and she's not even slowing down!' Midnight ranted to herself as the avenger before her slowly walked across the floor.

Instinct let her sidestep the birdarang that cut through the space she had just occupied. It hit Starfire and exploded, much to Midnight's pleasure. Until the Titan walked out of the smoke a bit more bruised and bloody but still coming.

She risked a glance as she altered the course of her backpedaling. Robin was leaning on Cyborg, but he was standing. A white patch was attached to his chest, a stimulant pack; where did he get it?

A shadow coiled around her left arm, jerking it back into place as she lifted it to strike part of the forearm with her chin. A red light appeared on her wrist.

"Razor and all drones, report to my position now!" she called into the communicator.

_Robotics Bay:_

Rank upon rank of the standard and heavy class battle drones stood in their charging bays with the odd bed holding a Midnight duplicate. A towering control panel stood in the center of the circular chamber, its controls smashed and a steel pipe skewering it at an unpleasant angle.

"Error, back up not found," Ai spoke in a singsong voice as she walked away from her handiwork, eyes aglow.

_Matrix Chamber:_

"Oh sh-!" Midnight cursed at the lack of a confirmation reply before Starfire was in her face again. She moved away from the punch and follow up, ending up behind the Titan, pivoting on her foot to chamber a kick that struck her squarely on the spine.

'If she were human she'd be dead or crippled,' Midnight noted darkly. The Titan caught herself and turned, eyes narrowed.

'That reminds me of something. I should carry painkillers,' Midnight thought. Her graceful evasion as the Titan took to the air was like some dance, made disturbing by the sight of her arms flopping about despite her attempts to keep them pressed close.

The dance ended as her foot slipped under Starfire's chin, sending her back to the ground, gagging. She opened her eyes, revealing the corneas to be green again, the red in her hands dulling. Midnight stood over her, smiling at the sight and raising her leg up, shadows forming an axe-like blade around it.

'Get up from decapitation,' Midnight trilled, feeling a bit lightheaded. Something red zipped by the villain; she turned her head, puzzled, before the black cable tightened around her. Her hair stood on end as electricity poured into her. The armor was insulated to be resistant to electricity, but it was also missing pieces and cracked wherever the berserker had punched her.

Shadow coated arms swung up and the cable snapped, and she seemed to embrace the sonic blast that sent her flying back into a wall.

"Boo… yah," Cyborg called out quietly. He blew imaginary smoke off the barrel of the cannon in his remaining arm and looked to Robin, standing wearily but on his own next to the larger Titan. The Boy Wonder pulled out a familiar explosive device.

"Sonic boom?" Robin asked hoarsely. Cyborg smiled and charged his cannon. Starfire touched down next to Robin, her eyes flaring back to red as her hands flared crimson once more. Cyborg raised an eyebrow as Jinx, with a shoulder lent by Beast Boy, came up next to him, hexes sparking in her hands.

"We'll name it later," Cyborg decided as they gave a less visually stunning sonic boom, the girls pouring their own attacks into it. The ball of energy turned gold and red as it set the shadows of the room turning on their hinges.

Midnight stepped out of the dent she made in the wall, pupils glowing red and half her mask a mess of cracks. The pupils shrank as her vision was filled with burning energy. Coating her body in shadows, she stepped back into the wall behind her.

The blast tore through the wall with a deafening crash. The Titans, save for Robin, averted their eyes at the explosive impact. The room shook, sending more pipes falling around them. The light faded to reveal a hole in the wall they could have driven the T-Car through.

"Dude, I should have been in on that," Beast Boy griped. Cyborg chuckled, and then began to laugh near hysterically at the comment, trying to slap him on the back with an arm that wasn't there.

"Is it over?" Starfire asked nervously. Robin looked to his teammate; her eyes were horribly bloodshot, blood was seeping from numerous cuts, her hands were blackened, and bruises from Midnight's attacks covered her. He was betting that, whatever it was she did, it didn't help her health.

"I hope so," he answered honestly. A vacant room with brighter light could be seen on the other side of the hole – a garage? Then a shape stood up against that sight in silhouette.

"No way!" Beast Boy shouted indignantly. The Titans tensed, Robin pulling out a staff from the belt that was back where it belonged. Then she stepped out of the dust and they broke stance slightly, stepping back.

Limped would be a better word for it. She was hurt, bad.

Nearly half her armor had fallen away, with steam rising from her form and angry red more than gray being seen of her flesh. The cloak was gone save for a few burning scraps falling away as she advanced. Her arms hung limp and twisted, her hands dripping blood as her fingers twitched spastically. The left leg was also twisted unnaturally; she was practically balancing on the mostly still armored right.

The left half of her mask was gone, the face exposed but covered in blood and matted hair, the eye closed, leaving it a blank mess. They could smell hair burning from where they were, and smoke rose in wisps around her head. The eye still protected by the mask was wide and as red as Starfire's had been moments ago.

She took a hobbling step forward, eye focused on the Titans.

"Midnight! Stop!" Robin commanded, recovering to stand firmly with a halting gesture. Shadows swirled about her feet, creeping over her like oil over water.

"We don't want to kill you, but you are badly injured. Give up, you've lost!" Robin spoke, a pleading note creeping in despite himself. That stopped her and he breathed a sigh of relief, until a roar too deep to have come from that girl ripped from a fang-lined mouth.

The shadows positively surged out of the corners to her, darkening even the floor they stood on. She seemed to grow taller, a hand reaching for them as it was covered in darkness that shaped into a demonic claw.

"**I…**" she spoke with a voice still too deep to their ears.

'Demon?' Jinx tried to place the energy she was feeling. She paled before the malevolence she felt rising from the other girl.

A whistling note called out as a sword flew in from above, imbedding itself in the shadowy mass around Midnight's feet. The shadows rose in tentacles about it, before the blade glowed white and flashed, covering the whole room in a fierce glow. The shadows broke, and Midnight again stood teetering before them.

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

A slow, mocking clap that put Midnight's earlier performance to shame echoed around them over the faint sounds of burning and the occasional clang of falling metal. The Titans looked about confused, while Jinx stared at the sword buried halfway up the blade in the concrete floor. Midnight sucked in a sharp breath while glancing around warily.

"Well, this is a surprising turn of events," a deep smooth voice called from the shadows.

"Master," Midnight gasped out. The Titans turned back to their injured enemy in surprise at that word.

"Didn't I tell you to never give in to that power? It would seem the matter here has been concluded," the voice spoke out.

"I haven't-" Midnight protested, trying to straighten herself up, only for the sword's subtle glow to spike slightly.

"No, you wouldn't even be standing without drawing on that power," the voice cut her off.

"I can still-!" she shouted… no, pleaded, Robin realized.

"Pencils down Midnight, you fail," the voice pronounced. Midnight recoiled as if struck, barely able to keep her balance from the act. Throwing her head back, she gave a shrill howl as her eye glow faded, leaving the familiar purple eye to roll up into her head.

With a clang and flop, Midnight fell to the hard floor in a mangled heap.

Robin stared at the sight, shocked, fascinated, and a bit horrified.

'Is she shorter than me?' he wondered numbly. The sound of metal hitting metal drew his attention from his fallen nightmare. If he pegged it right, Midnight's master was to her what Batman was to him. He dearly hoped he was wrong about that just now.

"Well done Titans; I sent my apprentice to destroy you to test her abilities. And here you send her back to me defeated – should I crush you for the trouble or thank you as good sport?" the voice called. Robin could swear he saw a large man kneeling in the darkened heights on a sagging pipe.

Cyborg wished his lights or night vision still worked.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded.

"Did I underestimate you, or overestimate her?

"Well, either way, I have to attend to her, so until next time," the voice ignored Robin. In a blur, a squad of the ninja drones burst through the hole in the wall towards the Titans, leaping over Midnight.

The Titans hastily engaged them, Beast Boy going tiger and taking point against the robots. Robin recognized the distraction, and knocking a robot aside, he looked to see Midnight gone with only a pool of blood and the hole made by the sword marking the spot where she had laid.

Teeth gritted, he rushed over and through the hole they had made, seeing a broad armored figure silhouetted in a doorway across the garage. Midnight's foot dangled in sight away around that frame. Razor padded next to him as well, one hand held to her head.

"Who are you? !" Robin bellowed, drawing a birdarang. The man paused in the doorway while Razor kept going.

"When you learn the answer to that question, Robin, it will already be too late," the mystery man told him almost cheerfully. At the last word, a steel door slammed down, cutting them off from one another.

"Robin," Starfire touched his shoulder. He turned to see the robots dealt with, and the Titans looking at him. Before he could say anything, a distant boom reached their ears and the ground began to shake.

"And that would be the post big fight self-destruct," Beast Boy spoke up nervously.

"We may not get another chance at Midnight," Cyborg pointed out. Robin looked to the door and the man fleeing beyond it, then to his team. Compressing his staff, he turned back towards the door they had come in through.

"Titans, withdraw," he commanded. Walking across the room, the other Titans exchanged looks before Beast Boy turned into a horse, Starfire placing Jinx on his back. Cyborg looked after Robin and glanced to where Midnight's rescuer had fled. Smiling, he hustled after his team towards the exit.

_Approximately Ten Hours Later, In Orbit:_

It was about as quiet as it got on the Watchtower, the hustle and bustle of the purple uniformed staff and the occasional costumed Leaguer passing him by in the corridor. He was back in his own clothes, though he was certain his body still wasn't right. For all the agony he endured, the actual damage was well within a walk-in visit's work for the League medical bay. Though he did have the painkiller/medication bottle in his belt, he reminded himself.

They had told him to take it easy as well, but from the doctor's expression the reputation of Bat Disciples preceded him.

He saw Starfire walk up behind him in the screen, her hands thickly bandaged and smaller stripes littering what he could see of her skin.

It looked like a window wall in front of them, but the wall wasn't really transparent to the outside. Seeing pictures from orbit was nothing to seeing it knowing it was the real view through the wall, even if it was courtesy of exterior cameras. Jump City was just a few points of light on the west coast of North America from this perspective.

"I am sure things are well," Starfire spoke up. Robin smiled, though perhaps a frown at her assumption was more appropriate.

"I don't doubt it – Beast Boy and Cyborg are no pushovers, and with Robotman and Green Arrow lending a hand, the city is in good hands," Robin stated, glancing to her at his side. She was surprised at his words, and the sincerity.

"It's funny how in rebelling against something you can become just like it," Robin observed.

"Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Batman; I didn't just leave because I ended up hating him over Clayface. I wanted to not be like him, like Nightwing and the new Batgirl are.

"Batman will never die Star – even if the original falls, the mantle will be taken up again by one of his students. Because Gotham needs him, even when it hates him. I didn't want that superstition and untouchable role, even among those closest to me.

"And he is untouchable; he can't be who he is if he puts anyone before the greater good he pursues.

"I didn't run off on my own like Nightwing to do the same thing in another city. I made a team and tried to make us a part of the city instead of apart from it. But me, personally, I ended up a hypocrite.

"Despite being a team, I saw myself as the essential one, the Atlas having to look out for the city and you. Midnight called me out and proved me wrong. I could almost thank her if she hadn't tried to kill you," Robin confessed.

"I'm not sure I understand," Starfire answered hesitantly.

"She beat me, and you came to my rescue. You didn't need me to save the day, and even if you hadn't saved me you wouldn't have fallen apart as Midnight wanted. The Titans are more than me, and even if it hurt you, you would go on in some way without me," Robin smiled sadly.

"You are not dispensable Robin," Starfire stated heavily, putting bandaged hands on her hips.

"Uh, not exactly what I meant. I'm saying that I no longer see myself as Batman's role among his disciples deep down. This is a team, and it's the sum that matters, not the individuals. I don't feel the need to carry all that weight myself anymore Star," Robin explained. Now she smiled and he smiled back.

"So, the Red X?" Starfire queried.

"I think I can be better than I've been. I don't know that I will ever be okay; I have seen too much to not be paranoid and cynical. But Midnight said how what I have is like a horse that carries me rather than me riding it; I think this is me finally getting a grip on the reins like a wise man once told me to," Robin explained to her. She looked back to the world below and frowned.

"Midnight is alive, yes?" Starfire asked plainly.

"Yes – no body, no death, in this line of work. And her master would have just killed or abandoned her there if he didn't intend to save her," Robin stated confidently. And he had a bad feeling this man behind the curtain was the type who succeeded in what he set out to do.

That figure in the shadows sent a chill up his spine. Midnight had not exaggerated; her master was to her what Batman was to him. The thought that such a man was out there, a villain in the same league as his mentor… reporting his experience to the League Command had seemed an inadequate response.

"Will she come back?" Starfire asked with an empty voice he liked not in the least. Turning his full attention to her, he could see how uneasy she was; he so wanted to lie and reassure her. No, that was not how one treated an equal.

"They always come back. All we can do is be ready," Robin told the truth.

But even if there was already a faint shadow on the horizon, the day was won and healing begun. The storm had blown through, leaving desolation below but a clear sky above. And still they stood.

Robin reached out and placed an arm over her shoulder, letting it rest there. The two Titans watched the world below, deceptively peaceful when seen from the heavens.

* * *

1)._ Barbara Gordon is not dead, the sudden disappearance of Batgirl just lead most to assume she had died somehow._

**A.N.:**

_Brewhahaha! At times I wondered if I would ever get to this chapter! Then while writing it wondered if it would ever be finished, or more than crap on my screen._

_Now you can stick a fork in it and call it done, hope you enjoyed the meal._

_Well, after this monster we'll have an interlude to wrap this arc up and set up for the next a bit. Then this story goes to sleep until the new arc kicks off on Saint Valentine's Day._

_This will let me catch up on other stories. Like "Hachin", which will be the next item before I post that interlude._

_And we see another one of my goals joining this site reached – a popular story over 100k in length._

_Thank you all. Without the encouragement and support of my betas, Nocturne, and of course the reviewers, this would never have happened._

_Long days and pleasant nights to all._


	14. Aftermath

Disclaimer: _I still do not own teen Titans, or the Greater DCU._

_Betaed by: _Zim'smostloyalservant

* * *

Aftermaths

Beast Boy felt torn between pride and embarrassment. He guessed it was what other people felt when relatives came to embarrass you just as they congratulated you. Standing on the roof overlooking the city from atop Titans Tower, he felt that as Robotman's heavy footsteps drew near. The public gush(such as it was) was done in sight of the others earlier; at least Jinx hadn't seen it. She would never let him live that down.

At least until he got something on her. Something like a repeat of the "plushy incident."

"Hey Gar, seriously, you holding up? You're not used to wearing the big britches," the orange machine-man commented, coming to stand beside him. Beast Boy was ashamed to admit it took a bit of getting used to his oldest friend. Cyborg, for all his mechanics, was still clearly part human, while Robotman was never built to pass as anything but a machine in the image of a man.

The voice helped; he had long learned to judge by voices rather than appearance when he needed to focus himself.

"I didn't, it was Jinx's plan. Cyborg got us there. And Starfire did the real butt whooping. I wasn't even able to take part in the big cool group attack!" he griped, pouting. The former Doom Patrol "big guy" chuckled.

"And who was it that got their mopey asses moving? You still sell yourself short squirt. You ain't the runt anymore – why, Cyborg and Jinx are the rookies here, and Robin's just the latest sequel," the mechano-man retorted jovially. They stood in amiable silence, watching the city, both of them scaling back from really watching to just enjoy the view.

"He'd be proud of ya," Robotman spoke up finally.

"Please, he'd just make one sarcastic remark and wander off," Beast Boy laughed.

"Yeah, but I wasn't talking about Negative Man. She'd also be happy to see you growing up," Robotman calrified. The warmth seeped out of the atmosphere, Robotman looked over at the tightening expression on the changelings face.

"…"

"Kid, you need to deal with it," Robotman started.

"I am, but you don't want me to deal, you want me to forgive that bastard," Beast Boy growled.

"Hey! Mento may have gone off the deep end, but that doesn't change what he did for us, and a slew of other people. I'll say it again, Mento would be proud of how you stepped up there," Robotman cut in heatedly. They shared a glare before looking away at roughly the same time. Robotman shook his head stepping up to put a hand on his old comrades shoulder.

"Me though, I'm actually here, so I have something else on my agenda," he grinned, swooping the changeling into a tight one-armed hug.

"Gah!" Beast Boy cried as he was smashed against the steel torso.

"As badass as your speech was kid, it was also stupid. Running off like that, putting your team in danger, okay stuff happens. But doing that when back up was only a phone call away, not okay. Less focus on measuring your gizmos against the League's, a bit more on survival and doing the job. 'Kay?" Robotman said to his hostage of the moment.

"'Kay!" Beast Boy croaked. Robotman let him go to start gasping for breath.

"Now that I've done the responsible adult thing, lets get to the real item. The report said you were watching a movie with that pink haired witch. How did you forget to write about your girlfriend?" Robotman demanded raising an accusing finger.

"What! ? There is no girlfriend! Just friends!" Beast Boy objected.

"Really, because you seem to spend a lot of time with her, and she doesn't seem to like other people. I'd think that little cadet I remember would be trailing after a guy like Cyborg with all his man stuff. I guess the young Casanova you've grown into likes it pretty with pink," Robotman speculated looking thoughtful.

"Lies!" Beast Boy screamed.

"Has she forced you to go shopping with her?" Robotman demanded.

"I lost a bet!" Beast Boy pleaded

"The ole ball and chain fitting is on the horizon," Robotman nodded sagely. He suppressed a grin as Beast Boy wailed.

X X X

Cyborg laughed lightly at BB flipping out while Robotman restrained himself for a pseudo calm air. He didn't know what they were talking about with no audio, and seeing as he had confirmed the security, he flipped away to another section of the tower on the feed.

The Titan sat in front of the main terminal, both watching the screen and with a cable hooked into his chest while his fingers moved across the keyboard. Technically Green Arrow was in charge, but the Old Leftie preferred deferring to someone who actually had experience with the city.

Midnight had done them something of a solid, her storm blowing the bad air out. But he would still need to keep an eye on Robin to make sure his friend didn't backslide on them. And just like right now he needed to make sure he didn't become a hypocrite.

A message from Green Arrow came in the through the feed. Armed robbery, no injuries, culprits trussed up like Christmas presents. Cyborg alerted the authorities and moved on, sending a confirmation to the fill-in hero.

All being quiet at the moment, he tapped the Internet. Jinx got banged up pretty bad, and he had been a bit of an dick to her, so a gift of some sort was in order. Preferably of the small and cheap variety. This was a "sorry you got hurt" gift, not an "I'm sorry" gift, after all.

He idly tapped into the news out of habit as he browsed. That's when he saw it.

His full attention snapped to the small article, bringing it up on the screen:

**HEIRESS CRASHES ILLEGAL VEHICLE**

_"Raven Wilson Reported Stable by ARES Spokesman"_

It showed her custom car turned into scrap against an overpass column before the text.

"Shit," Cyborg whispered, tearing through the article before searching for newer up to date information.

_Watchtower:_

She knew some people hated hospitals. Jinx wasn't one of them. It was good to have a clean professional place to get fixed up after trouble. What she disliked was this hospital – too much alien tech and too much magic residue.

Someone must be very diligent to keep them from mixing too much. For all that people went on about combining science and sorcery, it was much more difficult than most realized. Failures tended to explode or at best simply not work.

There was also the fact she was alone at the moment; the nurse hardly counted. Robin and Star were out making up or something. She wasn't clingy, but this wasn't a place she was comfortable with.

And why was that? She had bunked at the station with other budding Leaguers with no place else to go. Sure they rotated out to League locations on the planet… don't take my ears off!

She glared as the nurse who was cutting her hair stepped back into sight, the woman giving a measuring look at her head before smiling. Midnight had ruined her old hairdo, but rather than fuming Jinx decided to seize an opportunity.

The nurse picked a mirror up from the bed Jinx was sitting on and held it up. Her first focus was her face. They claimed her nose was back to normal, but she wasn't quite sure. Her wired up jaw was less visible than it would be otherwise, but there was a limit to how fast even they could heal her.

And her hair, trimmed down to a pink pixie cut. May as well keep a magical theme while curbing the chance someone would use her hair as a handhold again.

She liked it more than she thought she would. Until she realized that without her horns her eyepatch was easily the most dominant feature.

Frowning, she resolved to pick up some new shades before heading home.

"Well?" the nurse asked. They had given her a word pad, but she didn't need techno crap to talk without a voice. She gave a thumb's up.

"Good, I may have dropped beauty school for nursing, but I still know my way around hair. I'll get your discharge papers," the bleach blonde declared, far too happily in Jinx's opinion. She slouched on the bed; she was alone in this part of the bay, so she scratched herself, wistful to get out of the gown into her own clothes. Her pride wouldn't let her complain about sensitive skin like some spoiled princess.

"Hello Jinx, it's been awhile," a calm strong voice greeted her. She froze; slowly her head tilted up, and watched the Good Man walk across the room past her to look out the view screen and the Earth below.

"I understand you performed beautifully, your plan and getting up from injuries like that. You haven't had many victories in your life, you must be proud."

He turned to smile at her. She returned it edgily, revealing the wiring on her teeth.

"It builds trust, when someone sheds their blood for you. They can't help but think better of you. It seems Robin may be letting his walls down too. And as if that wasn't beneficial enough we have spotted the tip of an iceberg we didn't even know was out there.

"You also lied. Your report said Red X's identity was still a mystery.

"Yes, Robin confessed to his misdeeds before the League Commission hours ago; I am disappointed. Others had their doubts but I continue to have faith in you.

"Though I can't say I am surprised. Meeting like this poses some small risk, but I feel it's worth it. I believe in you Jinx, I believe at heart you want to be loyal to me. That you are grateful for what you have been able to become. Your doubts are already forgiven; they are only natural. We are judged by what we do, not what we feel.

"Always remember, what we do is for the greater good," he finished. She nodded, unable to meet his eyes. She heard him walk back across the room and stop at the door.

'He is looking at me. Through me?' she realized as her chest clenched. Then he was gone, and she remembered to breathe.

"Here we are! Oh dear, you aren't looking so well. Having second thoughts about the trim?" the nurse asked as she walked in. Jinx looked up at her, eye aglow and glaring. The nurse deposited her clipboard next to the girl and beat a hasty retreat.

'Honestly, these people make huge deals out of the smallest things,' the nurse thought, rolling her eyes as she walked back to the nurses' station as her fellow workers and costumed Leaguers flitted about in the most secure hospital around.

_?:_

Dark keen eyes took in the board, the lay of the pieces, the royalty of black and that of white with their respective retainers. A tense, somewhat bloody struggle, savage and merciless, while also refined and precise. But he supposed that was just the nature of chess.

The bearded man folded his large hands on his lap, smiling, recalling so many other matches falling to this course.

"Jinx is slipping. Not unpredictable, the risks were apparent when she went in. Still, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Three men, three threats, three too many. At the very least Lex Luthor is still dead hmm?

"No, Jinx is not a problem, or rather she is a problem well in hand. Her conscience made her lie to us, but it also binds her to us. She knows her debts, and how she has yet to repay them.

"Even if she disappoints, she knows nothing to endanger the plan. But it would be regrettable to sacrifice a pawn that has the potential to reach the far side of the board.

"We are skirting endgame. Time is what we need; Miss Martian proved the soundness of the plan. But we need to implement it fully and that cannot be rushed without alerting the League, or one of the factions.

"Our greatest weapon is mystery – the first blow must effectively end the fight, or the victor shall claim only ruin as you said.

"And Jinx has given us an unexpected gift, an x factor that slipped by us. It may not be Mento, but this new player may make the shortlist. The master of Midnight, whoever he is, could pose the worst kind of problem, an unforeseen one.

"You cannot plan for wildcards by definition. That sadistic cur Dr. Hurt learned that. But we are not dealing with someone so revoltingly simple in their wickedness. The game is not chess, no rules bind the players, and each of them is trying to hide pieces," Vandal Savage smiled, finally making a move.

"Checkmate in six moves, your move," he addressed. He pushed the board and pieces through the gap in his cell door. His opponent closed the hatch on the transparent material. The eldest of men watched with interest as the one on the other side contemplated his words and move.

Things were getting interesting.

_Somewhere Underground:_

The steel door slid open and the armored man emerged into the concrete corridor, sword hanging from his belt. Taking three steps, he paused, looking straight out.

"Come out, or things will become unpleasant," he commanded. A cloaked figure dropped from the darkness above to land on the floor with a clank, kneeling before him. Raising its cowled head, it showed a familiar visage. Most people would mistake it for his apprentice, but he was not most people. To his eye the plagiarism was blatant.

"I wouldn't want things to be unpleasant between us. Greetings Slade, I would call you master," she spoke from her knees.

"Really, you sabotage my apprentice, at the apparent behest of an otherworldly power, and now you come before me seeking allegiance?" Slade inquired with what may have been a hint of amusement.

"My achievements are my resume', I do not think you find it lacking. And I do not find you lacking either, having seen you in action. Demons are troublesome keepers, and their goals typically benefit only themselves," Ai explained.

"So you would turn your cloak. And would have me accept, as my apprentice has proven… less than ideal and currently out of commission?

"When you told her it would make her father proud, you were not referring to me," Slade stated. Ai smiled, not even close to Raven's grin or smile. He turned his back on the mechanical golem.

"Very well, I will test you to see if you are worth the trouble of retaining. Go to the arena and await me, I have other matters to attend," Slade dismissed, stepping away. Ai rose and turned, a full smirk splitting her face as she walked down the poorly lit corridor. So predictable, everything would yet go according to plan, she thought smugly.

She stopped at the sound of steel over steel. Her body jerking, Ai looked down to see a blade tip protruding from her chest; the rest followed it out in a surge and she gasped. Slade loomed behind her and twisted the blade in her metal innards.

"You said-" she gasped, eyes glowing red.

"I lied," he casually confessed. Celtic runes flashed in white radiance along the blade. Ai's head jerked up and she screamed, before fire erupted from her eyes and mouth. The flames turned blood red and writhed, but a white aura burst from the body, enveloping and consuming the fire. It was over in a moment.

The robot jerked spasmodically, then its arms fell out of their joints to fall apart at the seams as they hit the floor. The rest fell in a similar heap, the largest single part intact the head. Which bounced and rolled to face up, smoke rising from empty sockets while fake flesh continued to smolder around blackened teeth.

Sheathing his sword, Slade turned back the way he had come and passed through the door as it opened.

"Wintergreen, I am afraid I left a bit of a mess for you in the corridor," Slade admitted as he walked into the chamber. The old butler looked up from his panel and monitor, his aged face cast eerily in the light.

"It is no matter sir, cleaning up my master's messes is part of the position's responsibility," the butler nodded. Slade's eye lingered on him for a moment, pondering those words before moving on. He walked to stand before the large horizontal tube resting atop a thrumming machine. More specifically, the figure floating in the white liquid contained within.

She looked less of a mess than when he peeled off her armor to administer first aid. But she was far from good. A whimper informed him of Razor curled nearby; pitiable as the creature was, he conceded his apprentice having secured its loyalty.

'The lack of hair makes a difference,' he noted. What had still stuck to her scalp had been shaven to better let them monitor her brain via the wiring across it. The assortment of tubing was almost unnerving.

"Status?" he inquired.

"You have yet to insert the final component," Wintergreen reminded him. Slade pulled out the sword and with a push of a button revealed a port in the machine. He carefully slid the blade into the machine and turned it until a green light flashed on. Bolts of white energy played through the tube, clearing away the white haze, leaving it clear.

"I would imagine Arthur never thought his sword would be used like this," Wintergreen muttered, watching the new reading appear.

"It doesn't matter, the sword is mine by right now. Status?" Slade reiterated.

"Infernal Remission confirmed, with only a sixty percent drop in regenerating factor. Recovery proceeding as early speculation expected. Save for one, I'm sorry," Wintergreen answered, scrolling through the data. His finger tapped a section written in red with a small scowl marring his naturally neutral face.

"What is the issue?"

"Her left eye. It was destroyed in the fight, and it would seem the radiation or infernal energy reacted poorly with her natural minor regeneration. The eye is flawed; it will be perfect to look at but it will not see. Instruments speculate the damage has been locked in her regeneration 'memory' due to the failed manifestation. However many times it may grow, she will most likely never see out of it again.

"Other than that, we are fortunately seeing not even cosmetic damage once the chamber does its work. It is most fortunate you had the sword, sir, it was a close call," Wintergreen explained.

"One good eye. A fair price for a lesson that seems to have been needed," Slade remarked. He stopped himself from touching the black half of his mask, instead tucking his arms behind his back.

"Like your own," Wintergreen pressed civilly.

"Make no attempts to treat the eye, focus on getting her back in form – we have unsettled business in Jump City," Slade instructed, watching the girl float in the tube, his own reflection staring back at him.

"Jump City?" Wintergreen asked.

"Of course; this disgrace must be expunged, and it is an excellent place to enact the plan," Slade explained. Turning, he made his way towards the door.

"And may I ask what you shall be doing in the mean time?"

"I have long held to the belief that quality trumps quantity. But these turns have reminded me quantity has quality all its own. I will be in touch, keep me informed," he commanded as he exited the room. The butler shook his head at the closed door.

* * *

**AN:**

Well that concludes the Jump City Arc. Next year we get into the Rivalry Arc as season 2 becomes more butterfly infested. Hope it continues to meet your expectations.

I would like to thank all om lovely reviewers for their thoughts and support. I wish you all well this Christmas an ope the new year brings you happiness and prosperity.

Also this story is on Tv Tropes.


	15. Arrival

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Teen Titans. Nor do I own any lines quoted from "A Song of Ice and Fire", "Bone" or any other references or quotes from other properties.

_Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant._

* * *

"Striving to better, oft we mar what's well."  
- William Shakespeare,_ King Lear, _1.4.346

**Arrival**

The first thought was that she had opened the wrong door, entering the wrong balcony. But a swift review of her progress showed that was not the case. This was the balcony her host and ticket had directed her to.

Amanda Waller, in a blue suit fancier than what the rotund intelligencer was accustomed to, looked with well-veiled suspicion at the girl sitting in her box. Twelve or thirteen years old, European, black hair and delicate features as seen from this angle. Seated in the least advantageous of the three box seats, and dressed in a well tailored black evening dress with hair done up in a formal but not overly fancy style.

Finally, she was reading a very thick book with keen interest, assuming her body language was not a lie.

"Mr. Wilson, I did not expect for us to have company," the formidable African American woman spoke. The man behind her chuckled dryly.

"I should have known better than to try and sneak up on 'The Watchdog'," Stephen Wilson said in what may have been an apology. She stepped aside and let the silver haired gentleman walk into the viewing box. His movements said he had been trained very well, but had let those skills rust for about ten years.

He was good, but Director Waller was certain he could sneak up on her quite easily if he really wanted to. If the men on the Hill weren't so fond of the man, she would very much like to find out what he was really capable of.

But even General Eiling preferred to focus on the threats they knew rather than turning over rocks on their allies. Were they blind to the fact that a mysterious ally could be the most dangerous enemy? But obedience was her morality chain; if she went against the State on nothing but her own hunches, she was no better than the Justice League.

Wilson took the center seat, and her conclusion was confirmed when the girl closed her book, placing it in her lap to look to the man. The adoration in her eyes made it obvious she was pleased as punch to be there, but she reeled it in expertly to nod her head in greeting.

"Father," she greeted, English with a very slight Slavic accent.

"Raven," he returned.

Waller took her seat and glanced to the book in the girl's lap – "The Count of Monte Cristo". Interesting choice for her age, but it fit with everything she had heard about the Wilson heir.

"I understood this to be a private meeting," she stated, making her displeasure clear without crossing into being rude.

"You will find my daughter guards my secrets more closely than her own life. I thought it best to show rather than tell when it comes to certain aspects of my field," Wilson answered. He gave the girl a smile, and she blushed brightly with that pale tone.

Takes her in, gives her all the material needs she could want, along with the likely greater desire for a family substitute. Less raising a child and more grooming an heir from his pick of the litter. Quite sensible, in a morally dubious way.

"Be that as it may, I find secrets keep best when passed around less," she deadpanned. The girl was measuring her and trying to not look like it.

'Not bad kid, but you still have a long way to go,' she gave the girl a smile which made her actually avert her eyes.

Waller hoped it did work out for the girl. She herself had given up any hopes for such trappings of normalcy so future generations would not be cursed with a world broken by this era's foolishness. But who knows, someday that cause might mean ordering Raven Wilson's death.

The lights darkened, signaling the production was about to begin. "Faust"… she wondered if the arms dealer was trying to be funny?

_Two Months After Operation Blackfire:_

A grey hand balled into a fist as bubbles streaked up next to it.

Raven's eyes narrowed, watching the simple movement, her head cocked so she could see. The tank confined her to "lying down" suspended. Her major wounds were still bound, and a thick white patch covered her left eye. Her hair was little more than a buzz cut, not even long enough to truly stir in the flow.

A breath mask covered her lower face, with tubing rising up and out through the tank's walls.

"Pathetic, too much resistance to just make a fist," Raven's voice came through speakers, distorted by electronics. Wintergreen leaned toward the tank, looking at her still bound up arms.

"I don't suppose you would take it easy even when forced to lie down and recover," the aged butler sighed.

"Weakness is to be overcome, not accepted. I can't come out of here into a long rehab, Wintergreen," she hissed, fists closing again.

"Calm, young mistress; the sword suppresses the manifestations, but even failed manifests stress your body. Unless, of course, you want to end up spending a year in there?" he inquired.

"…I must get stronger. I have been thinking over how it went wrong," she admitted.

"Better than obsessing over revenge," he commented, typing commands into the control panel, changing the current flowing around her.

"Oh, revenge is never far from my mind. I will cut off Starfire's hands for that beating. But first, I need to be able to reach the shore before I jump onto the beach. Now, initiate it, kindly," she continued, watching him intently.

"*sigh* Only because he ordered me to grant this request if it wouldn't aggravate your condition," he shook his head and pressed enter. Panels opened, and small three-clawed robot arms emerged from numerous ports to plant wires across her body with adhesive patches, even tucking some over her wounds.

"Father knows what I need, Wintergreen. I will not step into the air again as a burden," she snapped, closing her eye.

"Initiating muscular stimulation," he stated with a shake of his head. Raven jerked then twitched, eye scrunching, before forcing what almost passed for calmness as electronic pulses forced a workout on her muscles.

"Chin up, you'll be back to thrashing youths with poor fashion advisers in no time," he remarked, closing up the control panel.

"Told you, butler jokes aren't funny," she managed to say calmly.

The smile moved his wrinkled face as he departed the medical wing.

_Shortly:_

As usual, the master was sitting watching screens when it was time for his tea. The old servant spared a frown for the subject appearing on nearly half those screens, but schooled his features into a server's neutrality with ease.

He set the teacup and saucer on the arm of the throne, not lifting his eyes to look at the man himself.

"She is using the electric treatment, master," he reported.

"I knew she would," Slade answered shortly.

"Would it be so wrong for her to simply recover before training for a rematch, or some such?" Wintergreen inquired.

"Are you questioning my methods?"

"No, simply whether you are applying them in the best manner," Wintergreen answered.

"The longer it takes for her to be able to take action, the more she will brood to no avail. This allows her to make progress towards a goal rather than lie down in defeat. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, actually. Permission to be blunt, master?" Wintergreen asked.

"I have told you before, you do not have to ask my permission to speak thus," Slade answered, glancing to the side at his servant.

"That you have, sir, but it is a matter of decorum," Wintergreen explained.

"Very well, what has stirred you to this, old friend?" Slade asked, the screens freezing across the wall.

"This revision to your plan master, it's a bad idea."

"Well, you were certainly right to call it blunt. Care to elaborate?"

"Your plans trespass on a territory men are not meant to tread. As great a man as you are, sir, there are some trails that are simply not meant to be explored, however well prepared the trekker.

"You would instigate a rivalry, for Mistress Raven to be pushed to pursue her potential and achieve mastery over her infernal nature. For a lad, I might concede, however reluctantly. But no good has ever come of a man trying to manipulate the feelings of a woman, even when it is meant for their betterment.

"And the young mistress – and this girl – are _adolescent_ women at that. A breed no man has or ever will understand well enough to fully predict, even you, sir.

"So as your butler and a man who has seen more years than you, I would advise you to walk a different road.

"Will you be needing anything else, sir?" Wintergreen asked, slipping back into the butler role.

_Present Day, Jump City, Picadores Mesa:_

The blonde looked skinny as a rail, but from the way she was booking down the dusty canyon, she must have just been wiry. Then again – the telescope shifted to show the gigantic scorpion pursuing her – she did have ample motivation to keep up the pace.

"Anyone have some bug spray? Deluxe ought to do the trick?" Jinx asked, taking the scope down from her eye and pushing her shades back into place.

"Where did that thing come from?" Cyborg asked, standing at the edge of the canyon, watching the pursuit get closer to their position.

"Okay, I say we use my hex blasts, Star's bolts, and the boys' artillery to start an avalanche with that rock bridge; we squash that bug like a… well, a bug!" Jinx suggested, smacking her hands together for emphasis.

"What about me?" Beast Boy whined.

"Just stand there looking pretty," Jinx waved him off, charging her hands.

"No, avalanches are too difficult to set right, once the rocks start falling we would lose control," Robin stated, lightly pushing her hands down.

"Besides, you might bury the girl too," Cyborg pointed out.

"Well, what do you suggest? In case you haven't noticed, she's burning calories like mad and she's already a stick figure," Jinx grumbled.

"Starfire will distract it, getting it to stop or even better, turn around. Jinx and Cyborg will attack from the cliffs, while I get in close and take it out with adhesive explosives. Starfire, meanwhile, will remove the girl to safety," Robin explained. While Starfire and Cyborg expressed their consent, Jinx huffed, crossing her arms and letting the magic dissipate.

"What about me? !" Beast Boy screamed. Robin looked at him and grinned.

"You just stay pretty," Robin joked. Beast Boy screamed, clutching his head while the other Titans watched his antics.

Jinx made to say something, but was interrupted by the earth rumbling beneath their feet. The pursuit had ended below them, but the girl was not cowering, despite being cornered in the box canyon. Her arms were raised and her eyes glowed golden, her face split by a smirk.

"A Metahuman," Cyborg stated. The land bridge Jinx had been considering broke free before their eyes, and with a striking motion from the blonde, slammed down on the scorpion. The Titans watched, stunned, while the ground trembled under the impact.

The raised tail twitched spastically, and then slumped dead.

"She wasn't running away," Starfire realized.

"She was leading it into a trap," Cyborg finished, looking at the crushed monster, then the girl.

"Told you it was a good idea," Jinx smirked at Robin. The Boy Wonder looked at the girl below, but raised his face to the cliffs around them; he could have sworn for a moment he felt… but it was gone now.

There was more rumbling from below, and before their eyes the ground beneath the newcomer's feet broke off and rose, carrying her up to their level. She was fair all around, with big blue eyes and a button nose; not a stunner like some of the heroines Robin had come across, but enough to turn heads if she tried.

"What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a superhero?" she grinned at them. Jinx made a cough that sounded like "lame line", and Robin stepped up to the ledge as the newcomer stepped onto solid ground. Her ride fell back to the canyon floor below and she looked him over with a smile he found himself liking.

"We were about to give you a hand, but clearly you didn't need our help. Good job…?" he let the question hang there for her to grab.

"Terra, the name's Terra. And you are the Teen Titans; love you guys, heroes done right, old school style with youth. Rocking!

"Robin of course, latest and best version. Tin man, heart included, Cyborg. Too cool to be normal Jinx. Starfire from the stars. And that leaves…" she pointed to each Titan, stopping on Beast Boy, who looked to be sweating under her twinkling stare.

"Boy Beast, I mean Yeasty Roy! I mean…!" the changeling exclaimed. The Titan turned into a turtle in mid air, which Terra caught as he went into the shell. Laughing, she patted the top of the shell.

"Awesome, even funnier that they give him credit for," Terra laughed.

"You think I'm funny?" his voice echoed from in the shell.

"You think he's funny?" Jinx asked, an eyebrow stepping up.

"Curiosity abounds!" Starfire exclaimed, getting in Terra's face. Jinx looked the girl over, taking in her well-worn gray traveling clothes and Robin caught a whiff of her from his spot.

When Starfire glomped the girl, she dropped Beast Boy, who was caught by Jinx. The witch let him go as he returned to his true form, grinning from ear to ear.

"She thinks I'm funny," he told Jinx.

"Billions of people in the world, at least one has to," she told him.

"Why must you be the screen-door on my submarine? Wait; did you say you live in a cave? !" Beast Boy exclaimed, hearing Terra answer Starfire's questions.

"That would explain the smell," Jinx muttered.

"Hey guys, it's no biggie, I'm all about the Earth, rocks can be like mattresses to me," Terra held up her hands, smiling.

"No, I will not have my new friend sleeping in a gloomy cave of loneliness and darkness!" Starfire insisted.

'New friend? It took more than an introduction with the rest of us,' Robin recalled.

"I have a flashlight," Terra stated.

"But not a bug zapper – come on, there may be more of those things lurking around," Beast Boy pressed.

Jinx caught Robin's eye and he nodded; he could see where this might be going.

"Well, I don't exactly have money to spring for a motel right now. I usually just camp out, ya know?" the geomancer admitted, looking sheepish.

Followed by-

"Well, you can stay with us!" Beast Boy declared.

"What?" Terra and Jinx spoke in sync. They both looked at each other, surprised; Terra chuckled, while Jinx gave a pout.

"Yes! We shall have the over sleep at our home!" Starfire cheered.

"Well, we do have plenty of room," Cyborg admitted.

Robin sighed and began to step forward, already knowing what he needed to say… then stopped and stepped back. Jinx looked at him, confused, as Terra backed off a step.

"Hey now, I don't want to impose," she began.

"When I say plenty of room, I mean 'plenty of room'. 'Sides, we oddballs have to stick together," Cyborg countered, getting on the wave with Starfire and Beast Boy. Before they knew it, the others were practically carrying the blonde back off toward the tower.

Jinx pushed up her glasses to watch them go and turned to Robin.

"They fell in love with that girl. Why did you let them invite a stranger into our HQ?" she asked.

"I'm trying to trust more, remember? I'll check the League database on her as soon as we get back," Robin told her. He went to the ledge Terra had torn up and ran his fingers over the stone.

"Something wrong?" Jinx asked, moving to kneel down next to him.

"Maybe," he admitted. Jinx looked around for a moment, not noticing Robin was doing the same thing. It almost felt like they were being watched.

_Titans Tower:_

Terra wasted no time getting her tourist on, gushing over the tower. Jinx found her reactions a bit corny and wondered if she acted like this to every person she bummed a cot and a hot out of.

Maybe that was mean, but she was not liking how the others were so keen on this new girl.

When Terra withdrew to take a bath, she could leave Beast Boy unattended to find Robin.

His crime lab was still creepy as ever. He might not frequent it like he did before, but it seemed to be a reminder that bit of him was still very much there in his head.

At the moment, he was going over a laptop computer set up on the table.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Nothing, and I mean nothing. There was some ecological heroine with the name back in the sixties, but she was just a skilled – well, somewhat skilled – human. Probably just a coincidence," Robin mused.

"So no registration with the League? That… may not be good," Jinx admitted.

"Quite, but if she is a drifter who just happens to have powers, it's not too unusual. These days lots of people with powers and the good fortune to look human try and stay under everyone's radar," Robin reminded her.

"I guess, but still…" Jinx glanced to the side.

"Are you asking me to be paranoid? You?" Robin sighed.

"No! I just, well… Oh, better get back and make sure she didn't destroy the bathroom," Jinx stuttered, before making a hasty retreat. Robin smiled, shaking his head as she left. Maybe she would actually try something with Beast Boy soon if she saw competition.

As a team leader he saw it as a bad development. But he wasn't just team leader.

_Shortly:_

She had meant the crack about the drifter destroying the bathroom as a joke. She had been as stunned as the others to see the girl seemed to have given it a good effort. How was that much mud even possible? If she had been wearing that much dirt she should have looked… dirty!

Terra wasted no time turning the kitchen sink area into her wash and dryer center, complete with clotheslines. Guess no one mentioned the laundry machines to her. Jinx found the intrusion… intruding.

And to top it off she hadn't gotten her thirds of Starfire's alien food since Terra also liked it! Well okay, she couldn't fault the girl for having good taste.

It had been a relief to see the girl collapse on the couch. She did not make a vision of sleeping beauty, sprawling and snoring a log saw, Jinx was pleased to see. The Titans stood in the common room as she snored, apparently having decided to take a moment to address this development.

"I wonder how long it's been since she had a real place to crash?" Beast Boy wondered, watching the girl next to her.

"She seems pretty hearty. So either not too long or she really is a good hand at taking care of herself," Jinx remarked. The witch frowned; it was a "but for the grace of God," deal she knew. No, she doubted she would be in such a good state.

"She needs a home," Starfire spoke up sadly.

"You're right; we can contact the League about something," Robin mused.

"Wait! What about our home? We got plenty of room, why can't we go for a sixth Titan?" Beast Boy interjected.

"Whoa now BB, girl might be a butt kicker but what we do isn't something to just fly into," Cyborg answered.

"The League program isn't bad either way. I decided against trying for a foster to just get training. But Terra would have better chances," Jinx told him. She left it unspoken the reason the girl would have better chances than she had had, looking like a real human, she thought.

"But perhaps she can have a home here as she is already here?" Starfire asked, looking from Jinx to Robin. Cyborg's soft touch was such that he required no direct exposure to her "cute puppy" powers.

"Alright, in the morning we'll see what she can do. Then we can talk about whether she makes a Titan. But if she isn't interested, that's the end of it, understand?" Robin declared. Starfire made to cheer but clapped her hands over her mouth, remembering the sleeping girl nearby. She made her exit quickly, likely to celebrate with some alien custom of meeting new friends or some such.

Jinx shot a look at Robin for this about face, but he seemed to ignore it as he made his own exit.

"Well, I need to be up bright and early to make sure the new training course is ready for Terra, night all," Cyborg stretched his arms before walking off.

Beast Boy's own exaggerated yawn/walk off was cut off by Jinx pinch-grabbing his collar and stopping him in his tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jinx demanded.

"To saw some logs, I need my beauty sleep," he answered, flashing what was meant to be a roguish grin.

"Yes you do, but you also need to clean the bathroom Terra trashed first," Jinx told him.

"What! ? Why me?" he shrieked at a low enough key to avoid disturbing Terra.

"You invited her, so take responsibility," Jinx poked him lightly in the chest while pointing at the sleeping form with her other hand. He pouted but didn't object. As Jinx reached the doorway, she turned to see him rummaging through the cleaning supplies kept in the cabinet under the sink.

_An hour later:_

Jinx walked down the tower hallway, her footsteps muffled by her black slippers. Her short hair had been hastily combed to get rid of the slept-in look, though wearing her pink night robe that may have been a bit wasted. Her shades were in place though.

She knocked on the door with her free hand, the other holding a sandwich-laden plate with lettuce sticking out from between the bread.

"Beast Boy, I brought you something.

…

"If you're 'busy' in there, say so," she ordered. Answered with still more silence she pulled the door open and was greeted by a pristine but empty bathroom.

His own room proved just as empty; he hadn't even settled in that night, she noticed.

Frowning, she checked the main room. Terra was gone.

The monitor was in sleep mode; someone had reactivated it. With the stroke of a key, a surveillance image popped up showing the rocky shore of the island. There was Terra, skipping rocks across the bay with her powers, and Beast Boy failing to do the same. There was no sound but the two were clearly laughing together.

She turned off the computer. The sandwich was left on the coffee table.

_Elsewhere:_

Slade watched from his throne as the two teens walked away from the shore on the screen filling the wall. He clasped his hands in front of his chest as Midnight stepped into the dim light by his throne, shrouded in her black cloak.

"All is proceeding according to plan. The beast did its job well to bring them together. Still, to move so quickly – I expected better from a disciple of the Batman. As you thought, it would seem he has reversed his vice regarding trust in others. Such a pity to see talent stumbling along so," Slade remarked.

"Will the attack be moved up then?" Midnight asked.

"Yes, tomorrow should be sufficient. Young Terra continues to display a talent for inspiring sympathy in others. That alone is a skill not to be underestimated. We must move quickly, or the League may swoop in and whisk her beyond our reach despite her fears," Slade explained. The screen zoomed in on Terra's head, hair raised high and eyes aglow like suns, and froze.

Slade rose silently from his steel seat and walked off into the shadows. Midnight withdrew back into the darkness, stopping for but a moment. She glared at the blonde girl through her mask, and then vanished from sight.

_Morning:_

It was a very good day, Terra thought.

The sun was warm, beating down on her, and even on a small island she could hear the "hum-hum" through her feet. She had worried an island would not as good for the sound from below, and she'd needed it after pretending to be asleep last night.

She had considered just running in case Robin changed his mind about the League. The whole point of picking Jump City had been that the Titans were less regulated than other heroes these days. The last thing she needed was someone asking a lot of questions and looking into answers.

But it looked like the Titans were keeping their plans from last night.

So Beast Boy hadn't told them then. Of all the times for the hum-hum to reach a crescendo! The appearance of control was just as important as the real thing.

Watching Cyborg run the course with all its high tech and bizarre traps (giant fists from below?), she felt a twinge of envy. Not that she envied all the mechanics the guy had to live in, that would suck big time. But he was clearly in control, able to use his powers just as much as he needed, probably with fail-safes built in of his own design.

His boisterous cheering at his new record was infectious, bringing a smile to her face.

"Don't think too much of it. It's the first time the course has been used, and he built it," Jinx whispered next to her. The witch took a step back as Robin worked the upraised control center, resetting the course. That was a relief; she had been getting a bad vibe from the witch all morning. She had received enough in her time to know it, even if the Titans were oblivious.

"Alright Terra, it's ready when you are. If it gets too hairy, just call for help and I'll stop the program immediately," Robin called down from the high tech control platform.

"You can take your finger off that button, I won't be needing it," she called to him, plastering a grin on her face.

"Onward to victory!" Starfire cheered. Terra was a bit surprised the alien girl was just as advertised, then again the Titans all around seemed more upfront than other heroes she had observed.

'Don't lose control, don't lose control, don't lose control, don't lose control,' her mantra repeated in her head, trying to sync with the hum-hum as it built within her. She pulled her goggles up, placing them over her eyes, noticing Beast Boy was saying something. Her ears were full of the words in her head so she just gave him a look she hoped was not too rude of a way to tell him to shut up.

'Go time,' she broke her mantra internally.

XXX

Jinx was surprised when Terra took to the air for her run at the course. In her experience and education, elemental types tended to err towards their power source. Terra, though, ripped a boulder from the ground to surf it through the air.

She watched Terra cry out in what seemed a panic as the giant fists forced her to maneuver her rock evasively. But still she kept her grip, good.

Her strategy showed an advantage when she moved the boulder to serve as a shield from the batteries. Crude but effective, but still…

Then she saw Terra lose her footing, falling into the pit.

"Okay then," the witch muttered.

She saw the boulder Terra had summoned fly to the geomancer. The girl scrambled for a grip as the rock continued to move. Her gloved hands couldn't get a grip and she dropped out of sight, the rock plummeting too as Terra seemingly released it.

She missed the rocks until Terra rose back into sight, holding two melon-sized rocks in each hand – literal handholds, and quite enough to get her back into the race against the clock.

Cyborg had broken one of the guillotine doors by overpowering its motor with his own strength. Terra had used a column of rock to force her way through them _all_. Not exactly the point of the exercise, but here and in a real fight it was overcoming an obstacle by whatever worked in the end.

And now Terra used fist-sized rocks in conjunction with her platform to bombard the cannon turrets.

"I know what you'll be doing later," Jinx taunted, elbowing Cyborg as the cheering teen stopped, realizing he would be the one to fix everything.

"AND DONE!" Terra cheered, jumping off her boulder in front of them. The boulder crashed to the ground and she struck a pose like a gymnast having finished a routine.

"Girl has game," Cyborg smiled.

"Glorious!" Starfire cheered.

"Well, it looks like you have an idea what you're doing," Jinx allowed a smile as the girl looked a bit self-conscious under the praise.

"You the man! I mean you the… WAY TO GO!" Beast Boy cheered, stepping in front of Starfire to be closest to Terra. Jinx couldn't see Terra's face, but she did see her lean in close, and Beast Boy swooned.

Swooned… her smile made a hasty exit even as Cyborg made to catch Beast Boy, only to pull back and let him eat dirt. She would have to find a way to thank the big guy for that.

"New course record," Robin announced.

"I must have softened it up for her," Cyborg laughed as Robin jumped down from the platform to join the other Titans.

"Well Terra, you weren't lying about having a good grasp of your powers. A little rough around the edges, but nothing some training can't fix," Robin gave a small grin.

"So she can join us?" Beast Boy leapt up from his spot on the dirt.

Robin was cut off as everyone's communicators started blinking.

"…Why are you guys blinking?" Terra asked with a look of annoyance on her face.

'I told Robin the blinking was stupid,' Jinx sighed internally.

_Shortly:_

The Titans stood around the computer screen as Robin brought up the data of the alert. Terra hung back, sitting on the couch and watching the proceedings. A company logo with a blue diamond in its center appeared with data read-outs flanking it in new windows.

"A raid on the diamond mine in the mountains. A raid in force; whoever they are, they have firepower and training to tear through the company security like a paper bag," Robin announced.

"Jump City has a diamond mine?" Terra asked, leaning forward.

"We kind of have a lot of stuff. I still get surprised," Cyborg told her.

"No word on any big names, but I think we should take the whole team for this," Robin spoke as he turned off the screen.

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend," Jinx grinned.

"Hey, you know in a cave I've got whole other sets of moves. I mean with the Earth all around… " Terra spoke up, getting to her feet. The Titans looked to Robin, who looked at Terra. She met his gaze, or thought she did – that mask turned out to be quite unnerving in person, she thought.

"Alright, but if we tell you to go, you get out. I don't know what you've faced in the past, but you're a civilian right now and your safety comes before whatever pride you have," Robin told her.

"Hey, its a bunch of over-armed diamond bandits, not a supervillain. I think I can handle it," Terra smirked.

_Rosa-Strakengurg Mine Complex:_

Terra pulled her thick gloves tighter as she and the Titans ran down the track-lined tunnel into the mine. She was actually doing it! And she could hardly ask for a better stage to debut. It wasn't a lie that her power worked better underground; she could feel the hum-hum around her despite all the cut rock.

Hmm, not as good as a natural cavern, but it would do, it would do _very_ well.

The sound of the firefight ahead almost brought her up short, but she caught her pace with the next step. She wasn't accustomed to running _towards_ angry men with guns, but that was what she was signing up for. The tunnel let out into a massive cavern suddenly.

She barely registered men in sweat-jackets and ski masks firing lasers around before the Titans sprang into action. The bad guys were pretty slick, she noted, leaping back with only a few caught in the opening assaults. A crate exploded, prompting Terra to hit the dirt. Opening her eyes she saw mostly clear rocks smaller than pebbles littering the floor.

"Forget the diamonds, let's get out of here!" a miner called out as he and his fellows ran around the rising blonde into the exit tunnel.

"Time to rock and roll," Terra grinned, cracking her knuckles as her fists began to glow in her gold aura.

XXX

"Android? They aren't real!" Robin exclaimed when the perp emerged from the cart's wreckage, sparking and leaking cables. It still possessed enough dexterity to leap at him with a trench knife drawn. He smoothly evaded the strike, bringing his staff up to meet its charge with his own attack, to the head.

Metal crumpled and the droid went down. Scowling, Robin looked around to see if he was clear. Terra had taken down the group sniping from the crane apparatus, by toppling the crane. It looked like the others had figured out they weren't dealing with humans, employing lethal force as Starfire punched one's head clean off.

He saw Jinx standing in the middle of a circle of six droids and wondered for a moment why she wasn't on her guard. Then the disguised droids collapsed to the ground around her and she brushed her hair back behind her ears. Apparently, he had missed her little moment.

Attention back to the task at hand, he knelt and pulled off the ski mask. The faceplate was a familiar design.

"Crap," Robin cursed.

"It's been awhile Titans," a mocking voice echoed around the chamber. Holding his staff at ready, he watched as the other Titans converged around him, facing out. Thankfully, Cyborg was dragging a confused Terra with him.

"What's the deal, so they're robots?"

"Not that, note the creepy evil voice," Beast Boy remarked, crossing his arms to point both ways.

"Evil voice? I've always thought it was quite enchanting. Tactful as ever to insult old friends when they drop by," Midnight's voice echoed around them. The remaining droids grabbed their disguises and ripped them off, letting the shards of cloth fall to the ground.

As he thought – ninja style, black armor with steel colored accessories and an orange half circle on the faceplate.

"Midnight," Robin spoke to the room in general as at least a dozen more robots dropped down around them, drawing blasters.

"Surprised that I'm back after our rather awkward parting of ways?" her voice echoed while seeming to whisper in his ear. The Titans took a step back, tightening their circle. Terra seemed pleased to be included in it, holding the glow in her fists alongside them.

"Not really, as Batman told me, they always come back. It's some kind of a learning block for you people," he shot back.

"Funny man," Midnight spoke behind him. The Titans turned in on their circle as Midnight ducked to the ground, legs sweeping out to knock Cyborg off his feet. She sprang up just enough for a tiger to pass under her and plow into Starfire.

Metal chimed on metal, as her black-armored forearms caught Robin's staff. The blow forced her down roughly onto her knees. In a second, he was next to her striking his staff across the back of her cowled head… only for it to pass through the head as shadows swirled around her. Her sweeping kick forced him back a step while she rolled up to her feet, letting her cowl fall.

He saw the new mask was more of a helmet, leaving only a hole in the back for a purple ponytail to hang down from.

Turning to face him, he noticed the mask was now all black, no purple.

Terra squirmed against Starfire's grip as the Titan cut through the air, carrying her away from the action. It was useless, she realized; she had seen the girl punch through steel with her bare fists on the television, but being caught in that strength was something else. No wonder superheroes and their counters were practically above the law. Cool as it was though, she was scowling when Starfire stopped in the tunnel they had fled down and placed her on her feet.

Terra grabbed the other girl's arm before she could dart away.

"Wait a minute, you don't need to do this, I can fight!" Terra objected. Starfire gently pulled Terra's hand off her arm, drifting further up into the air.

"I am sorry friend Terra, but the Midnight is too powerful and evil a foe for you to face yet, please make your way to the surface and wait for us," Starfire apologized. With those words, she turned in the air and whisked down the tunnel. Terra scowled after her; she was not some weak little girl to be coddled after all she had been through.

She saw Starfire had dropped her at a crossroads of the entrance tunnel – how cliché. Ahead was the battle; going back and possibly getting a moment of cool would clench her place in the Titans. Or it might make them see her as a total loose cannon and sink any chances of getting an in with the superheroes.

Glancing over her shoulders, she looked to the unseen entrance. It was the safe thing to do, but would someone who took the safe option really be cut out for this life? No.

She glanced idly down the tunnel to her left and saw an armored man run down the tunnel it connected to.

"What? Oh," Terra grinned. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her gloves tighter and opened herself to the hum-hum.

"Or three, I thwart whatever Midnight is trying to distract them from. Yeah, answer C," she told herself before dashing down the tunnel.

_The Watchtower:_

_"_It begins in a shadow. In the shadow I see a filthy cat fighting a large black bird. I gain perspective and see a great tiger casts the shadow they fight in. The scene changes, revealing a stage as wide as the world; the Joker stands alone on it, holding his foe's cape and cowl tucked under his arms. He looks right at me and winks, saying the stage is finally big enough.

"He vanishes as his laughter echoes around me, soulless and overflowing with wickedness. It fades to be replaced with footsteps thundering on wood; Question runs toward me, sinking into the wood of the stage with every step.

"'The enemy is-!' he shouts, before vanishing into the stage, leaving only his hat. I pick it up; tucked in the brim is a paper with the number two scrawled on it in blue ink.

"The sounds of battle fill my ears and next I see Uncle Sam wielding sword and shield, fighting off a troop of monsters in hoplite armor and street punks wearing Luthor masks.

"Puppets fall around me, good and bad people alike; their strings are cut and bleed, covering the stage.

"A statue of Luthor rises from the blood, immaculate and clean. The pedestal reads 'AND JUSTICE FOR ALL', and under it lies Superman, pierced through the chest with a spear adorned with a banner bearing his own crest.

"The last is a black jewel with a pulsing purple core. It is locked in a furnace; the heat unbearable, it cracks. And something happens," Dr Fate said.

He turned back from the viewing screen showing Mars and the surrounding space. Save for Jon Stewart, the League founders were all present. Superman frowned along with Wonder Woman and Shayera. Batman and the Manhunter were unreadable, while Flash drummed his fingers on the tabletop, looking impatient.

"Something happened? What is this, a movie trailer? Give us the spoiler already, isn't that the point of sneaking peaks like this?" Flash asked. Wonder Woman, more accustomed to prophecy, gave him a scolding look, while the Thangarian made a sound of agreement.

"I have tried, but that part of the vision is beyond my reach. I have tried to see what is there, but I am blocked. I cannot say for certain, but I see four eyes and a roar that shakes the worlds. It makes me afraid Flash, and I cannot see what it seeks to hide," Dr Fate conceded.

"Something is coming," J'onn stated.

"Something always is," Superman sighed.

"Exactly! End of the world is just the latest three-part episode for us. We'll take your four eyed phantom, and raise you two Luthors, a Grodd, and a slightly used Darkseid!" Flash smiled.

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Wonder Woman answered.

"Batman?" Superman asked of the only one to not offer anything.

"I don't typically trust prophecy. The question is, how far is it metaphor and to what? I can guess some parts, but nothing is certain. It could be we won't be able to see until it happens," Batman conceded grudgingly.

"Which defeats the whole point of seeing the future," Flash reminded them all.

"The most important piece is the final one. That is what this entity wants to keep secret. What comes out of that jewel is the key," Batman finished. Dr. Fate nodded agreement.

Something was coming, and he feared the Flash's confidence was too common among the less worthy. He had felt that power, and it was truly terrible.

'Powers help us if we are not ready when it arrives,' the wizard thought grimly. He feared what was going to happen was already well under way.

Three stone columns burst from the mine floor, nearly reaching the ceiling, effectively blocking her quarry's path. He stopped so readily it was hard to believe he had been running a second ago. Definitely he, she realized. He wasn't just much more impressive than the robots' stature; there was a feeling from him that affirmed this was no drone.

When he turned, revealing the one eyed mask, half rust orange the other as black as Midnight's, she faltered for a moment, meeting that eye. Shaking her head, she raised her hand, swiping it.

"I've got you!" she declared, pulling a column to spring from the wall to slam into him. Only it didn't, it passed through empty air. A precious moment wasted watching the miss in confusion, she only registered how close he was when his staff was already sweeping her feet out from under her. She hit the ground and looked up to see the man in armor of silver and black looming over her. He casually tossed a grenade over his back and out of sight.

"No, I have you, Terra," he spoke in a deep smooth voice.

The grenade exploded, caving in the way they had come, while another charge went off behind her, further blocking the passage she had cut off.

'When did he plant that one! ?' she wondered. Rising to her feet, she took a deep breath as her aura covered her hands. The enemy advanced, but stopped a respectable distance and tucked his arms behind his back.

"Would you mind putting those away? They make the situation rather awkward," he requested.

"WHAT?" Terra demanded, tilting her head.

"I did not go to all the trouble to be alone with you in order to simply fight you, Terra. I assure you I am simply here to talk; if it were otherwise… well, I believe you have an impression of that," he said, pulling out a hand to gesture at the plugged tunnel.

"How do you know my name?" Terra asked, not letting her guard down.

"Oh, I know so much about you, that tidbit is barely worth mentioning. You are quite the sneaky kitty Terra, to have made it this far. But only because the world is so full of chaos, most overlook those who actually try not to be noticed. And your good fortune to have fallen into a blind spot of sorts with those who would see through your attempts to evade justice," the masked man explained. Terra's eyes widened to dish pan size.

"Yes, Terra, I know everything about you. Five incidents of manslaughter, massive destruction of property, and that's not counting that earthquake that leveled that town in Arizona, or the two mudslides in Colorado. Or perhaps the avalanche that destroyed your family's home?" he ticked off each item with his free hand, advancing on her.

Terra's hands lost their glow as she slapped them over her ears.

"Shut up, SHUT UP!" she shouted, closing her eyes. Realizing how bad of an idea that was, she opened them, to see him standing nearly on top of her. She scrambled back, falling onto her rear.

"And let's not forget old fashioned theft," he stated, holding up a cashew-sized raw diamond between his thumb and forefinger. Terra padded her pockets, looking at him in horror – he had moved that fast, that quiet, and pick-pocketed her? !

"What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep the tremor from her voice.

"You are a walking disaster area, Terra. You destroyed your home and family when your powers emerged, likely with your stepfather's assistance in the violent outburst.

"Since then, you have retreated into the wilderness until loneliness and the arrogant belief you can control your power brings you back to civilization. You use that charm of yours to worm your way into a community. And then you lose control and flee again before someone can connect the tragedy with you. And the cycle starts over again.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to judge you on some moral scale. Sloppiness perhaps, but that is excusable since you are self-taught while knowing so little," he monologued, before flicking the diamond away.

"Again, what do you want?" Terra glared from her spot on the floor.

"Ah, you don't deny it; at least you can be honest with yourself. Or can you be?

"You seem to have realized a normal life is beyond you. So you think you can use the Titans to find a home in the superhero community where your 'freakishness' would be an asset.

"It won't work. They will find out eventually, and when they do you will have to trade in your costume for prison orange courtesy of your so called friends."

"Not if I-" Terra interrupted, getting to her feet.

"Befriend them? Make yourself useful to them? The Titans on their own might forgive you as some tragic victim, but the League will not excuse your crimes.

"And they are crimes. You could have sought the League out to begin with, but you choose freedom over the risk of admitting your problems and guilt.

"Your hat is too gray to ride with the angels, Terra. They will come to know you, and when they know you and what you have done they will see you are not one of them; and that will be the end of your freedom."

"They're not like that. They trust me even though I'm a stranger," Terra objected.

"If it's too good to be true, Terra, it's a lie. It's common knowledge too often ignored. Surely you sense a trap in their warm welcome?

"I will answer your earlier question – what I want is you," he said, turning way from her.

"Huh?" Terra stammered, looking back up.

"I do not condemn you for what you have done, Terra. It was only natural, just like stealing the jewel that fell in front of you.

"You saw Midnight out there? My apprentice, not so different from you when I found her – confused, directionless, stained with the blood of innocents and victimizers alike.

"Like you, an abundance of power and a lack of control. Would you believe that now, when the Titans even as a group face her with such fear?

"I can do the same for you. The price is to repay me with service, but you will find me a master rewarding of good service. Those without power are not truly alive, but those controlled by power are mere slaves.

"I can free you from your power's yoke. Refine your potential, and make you shine terribly before the world you have feared until now," he proclaimed. As he spoke, he picked up an ugly looking rock and crushed it in his fists. The dark stone crumbled in his grip before her eyes. When the gravel and powder fell away, he was holding a raw diamond the size of a tangerine.

He tossed the diamond to her and she instinctively caught it. A rough facet reflected her face and she dropped it like it burned.

"No, no, I'm not like that!" Terra shouted, glaring at him.

"It's already cracking; you couldn't even keep a secret from Beast Boy. He may be too foolish to put that piece in the puzzle, but the others do not blind themselves so."

"He promised he wouldn't tell," Terra insisted, looking at the ground.

"When he breaks that promise, you will see what their word is worth compared to their love of the law," he assured her, drawing close.

"He promised!" she cried.

"He lied," the voice whispered over her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open aglow, and a piece of the ceiling broke free and slammed down behind her.

"SHUT… UUUP!" she screamed as her hair whirled around. Columns sprouted along the walls and ceiling, trying to skewer or crush the armored man, who evaded them all with contemptuous acrobatic ease.

She screamed wordlessly at the impotent attacks, then the ground beneath her feet cracked and her feet lifted into the air. Her eyes widened fearfully as she kicked at the air.

"NO, don't lose control, don't lose control!" she shouted, pressing her hands to her head. The hum-hum was pounding in her head, yet as always her senses just got sharper; she could practically feel the stranger walk through the tempest of stone forming around her.

"You can't loose what you never had. They won't understand, Terra, they won't help anything but their cause.

"My name is Slade, I entrust it to you, for the day you seek me out. When the student is ready, the master will appear," he told her. The passage he had blocked earlier blew clear as Terra's power spiked again. She felt him depart as power surged through her body with no end in sight.

'Someone help me,' Terra prayed as she curled up, a prisoner of her own power.

_Meanwhile:_

A green glowing fist lashed out, and was caught by a shadow-coated hand. Midnight grinned as she caught the following left hook in her remaining hand. The shadow and light steamed as she held the fists, being pushed back slightly by the force.

"As I thought, without that berserker rage my shadows are stronger than your power," she sneered. She heard someone behind her, but guessing who it was, let their blow land.

Jinx gave a cry as she unleashed the double hex blast point blank at Midnight's back. The energy surged over the cloaked figure, who released Starfire, who leapt back. The dark cloth ignited and tore, falling to pieces. As the last spark surged over the black metal, Midnight stood tall, clad in all black armor, while her cloak burned around her. It wasn't even scratched, the Titan girls realized.

"You like the new armor?" Midnight asked as she raised a fist and, of all things, a white aura briefly shone over the fist.

"It used to be a backstabbing friend of mine. I think it's put to better use here," Midnight remarked, extinguishing the aura and stepping back to turn and face both Titans.

"You mean it used to _belong to_ a friend of yours?" Jinx asked.

"No," Midnight shook her head, smiling.

She deflected Starfire's right hook with ease, planting an elbow into the alien's face before falling back. Starfire recovered quickly enough, but she held back alongside Jinx. The witch was agitated; her powers were not cutting the mustard today.

She watched Robin holding his own, back-to-back with Cyborg against the ninja drones. Beast Boy was on the offensive, keeping the drones off balance, vanishing into a small form only to pop up, roaring.

She had been impressed earlier when a load of crates had been dropped on his gorilla form and he had emerged no worse for wear. It was all too easy to forget that he had been trained by Mento.

Her attention drifted back to the Titan girls, pondering how to proceed in her limited field of options.

The earth began to shake under their feet and over their heads. Good timing, she sighed, as dust and pebbles began to rain down on them.

"Again with the self destruct? At least wait until we kick your butt!" Beast Boy shouted from atop a broken drone.

"Oh, this? It's not my handiwork. As it is, be glad I am here on orders and not revenge. Otherwise, this just might have been one of yours tomb. Until next time," she said. Snapping her fingers, she signaled the final wave of drones to descend from the heights of the vaulted cavern.

She felt Robin pursue her into the tunnel, but he pulled himself up short in the darkness created by the lights she broke earlier. After a moment's hesitation he backed off, returning to the fight.

Such a shame, Raven thought as she made her escape down the tunnel – he was such fun when he was obsessed.

XXX

"Beast Boy!" Robin called as the Titans closed in on the last of the robot ninjas. The green ape looked to where the Boy Wonder was rejoining the fray.

"Find Terra!" Robin ordered as he took Beast Boy's place in the formation.

He would have asked why before thinking if he had the tongue for it. As it was he nodded, realizing the potential danger even when Midnight was not right in front of you.

Taking the shape of a deer, he sprinted down the tunnel Starfire had taken her. Reaching a crossroads, he skidded to a halt and shifted into a bloodhound. The scents told a clear tale, and he followed it into the mine rather than back to the surface.

He kept the dog form as he pursued the scent; rounding the corner, he heard the trouble before he saw it. Even so, it brought him up short, almost tripping over his legs at the spectacle.

"Dude," he murmured, shifting back. Crouching, he watched the whirlwind of earth fill the tunnel, and the girl within. Light was leaking from Terra's scrunched-shut eyes as she floated in the eye of the storm in a fetal position.

He had known she had control issues, but this…

Such thoughts were shoved aside; when faced with a crisis, limit questions to the immediate concern of solving the most pressing problems.

Terra was the one causing the quake, solution would require reaching her. Question, how to do that with all that debris? He could power through with some of his forms certainly. But again, Terra was the source, and this might be some out of control defense that would get worse if he did that.

Don't break through then, evade and bypass. He nodded to himself, giving grudging thanks for the old lessons.

It was rare he got to use the gopher, he mused as he shrank and dove into the dirt. This part was easy, but he knew it would get hard when he came out. When he came back into the open air, he was proven right, as the green gopher was ripped from the ground.

"Terra!" he called, shifting back as he was caught in force. She lifted her head and opened those glowing eyes.

"Beast Boy? !" she called back. It was like swimming through half-evaporated water against the tide, but he got close enough for her outstretching hand to grab his fingers and then wrist.

Insecurities flared as she pulled him into an embrace. It wasn't affectionate though, he realized; it was desperate. He returned it, willing himself to be like Elastigirl had been for him in his moments of weakness.

It felt like he was failing, but despite that she relaxed, and the rage he hadn't noticed in the air began to dissipate. The rocks slowed and then plopped to the ground, and the tremor faded away. At last they both floated back to the ground, standing there in each other's arms.

"Thank you," Terra whispered her chin on his shoulder.

_Titans Tower:_

Save for Robin, the Titans and Terra sat on the couch of the main area, flanking Terra. Robin stood in front of the screen, face unreadable.

"Terra, this morning you showed us what you can do with those powers of yours. While a bit rough, you showed more potential than I see from many Metahuman recruits, or even veterans in terms of power. It's clear you can handle yourself in a fight.

"As for a team battle, I saw a bit of what you could do. You didn't choke when faced with potential danger. Not only did you mind yourself, you used your abilities to support your comrades.

"Still, rather than withdrawing as ordered you choose to pursue other drones we were unaware of. That skirts the line of disobedience," he stared.

"Robin-" Beast Boy interrupted, but was silenced with a look.

"While it's true they may have played some part without you acting, I need to know I can count on my teammates to not fly off the handle at the first sign of trouble.

"With that in mind, I feel okay… giving you this," Robin smiled, pulling out a yellow "T" adorned communicator and holding it out to Terra. The Titans got to their feet cheering while Terra stayed seated, taking the communicator, looking stunned.

"Alright Terra! This calls for my special three-meat BBQ!" Cyborg cheered, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh most wonderful," Starfire exclaimed, pulling Terra to her feet.

"Way to go," Beast Boy clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Congratulations," Jinx smiled, hanging back.

"I… I don't know what to say," Terra managed, eyes looking moist as she flipped open the communicator.

"Take your time, and welcome aboard. Now I know you have some control issues with your powers, so first of all-" Robin began.

Terra dropped her communicator. For a second Robin watched stunned as she looked at him like a deer in the headlights. She whirled on Beast Boy, pushing his hand away. The others quieted down, realizing something had just gone wrong.

"You told him," she said shocked.

"Wha? No I didn't!" Beast Boy objected.

"You promised!" she shouted at him.

"Terra I-" he took a step toward her, only to be pushed back, falling onto his back.

"YOU LIED!" Terra cried. She ran past him, vaulting the steps to the door and out of the room.

"Terra!" Beast Boy shouted, getting to his feet.

_Shortly:_

Beast Boy sat at the spot on the dark stony shore he had shared with Terra the night before. It felt lonely when it was just him staring out at the lights across the water. He could have chased her over the water.

He nearly had. But he realized when she had gone so far as to flee the island she did not want him to catch her. Was letting her run off alone in the dark the right choice though?

He heard someone approaching and knew it would be one of two people. It wasn't the one he wanted to see right now.

Robin stood next to him, above the tide line. Beast Boy saw he had the decency to look sad. It was a petty thought, but his mood was far from chipper.

"I didn't break my promise," Beast Boy said.

"I figured it out on my own, I didn't know…" he let the words trail off.

"That she was scared of that fact? That's the problem with smart guys, you know so much but it sets you up to get hit by the things you don't know.

"...

"Will she be alright?" the changeling sighed.

"She's done well on her own before. I think you did the right thing letting her go. She'll survive, and hopefully look back and see something worth turning around for," Robin offered the words to his friend. After a moment's hesitation he put a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

Jinx watched from around a boulder uphill. She frowned, watching Beast Boy, before she drew back to slip away in the dark as Robin turned away to take his leave.

_Elsewhere:_

The massive screen was split four ways, showing Terra running across the arid landscape from that many angles.

"Run all you want, child. Each step brings you closer to me," Slade stated. Beside and behind him, Midnight watched the blonde's flight, still clad only in her black armor, an imposing sight with only her lower face and pony tail breaking from the dark metal. That metal scrapped against itself as her fists tightened.

'You'd better not stop running, bitch. I will not be replaced,' Raven fumed to herself.

Shadows whirling around her form, the ebony figure sank into the floor and out of sight.

"Hmm," Slade glanced back at the space she had occupied. He turned his attention back to the screens as they blinked off one by one. Then there was only darkness around him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_And so the new Arc begins!_ _I was going to hold off until Saint Valentines Day liked planned but since it was done. I hope you all do not mind the early posting._

_I know this is more an AU Terra here, but while certain plot points may be destined, the results of those events can differ quite significantly, and those will add up as we leave familiar territory. Up till now Jump City has mostly been independent of the wider, more dangerous world and vice versa. Terra's arrival heralds more than just her entry into the plot._

_Just to be clear, I am not bashing Terra here. I feel her actions in the series were excused too easily, namely doing her best to murder close friends, and not turning against Slade until the arrangement became inconvenient for her rather than moral reasons. But I do not hate her, instead seeing her as untapped grey to be drawn up for this AU._

_So greetings to new readers and welcome back old viewers. Hope this arc is as enjoyable in the last. I personally aim to top the last arc across the board._

_Long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	16. Clockwork

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Teen Titans. Really, I am neither cool nor rich, so how could I own it?_

_Betaed by:_ Zim'sMostLoyalServant and Racheakt

* * *

_'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.' 'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice. 'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here.' - 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'_

**Clockwork Titans**

Déjà vu. It wasn't something Raven often experienced. Repetition had been such an order of her life in the first years under Slade that she had become acclimated to time blending together. Yet sitting here in her office at ARES Jump, she could feel it.

The room was unchanged. While her lair had been destroyed, her city residence and this facility had naturally been untouched. Officially, she was back to work as before the "accident". The assurance to shareholders was that the brush with mortality had wizened her up and she would focus more on her duties.

Reclining back in her plush desk chair, she swiveled away from the various reports and memos to look out the window. Letting out a sigh, she watched her reflection as she pulled off the wig of her old style and scratched at the short black hair still growing underneath. Deceptions on top of deceptions.

The itch was real enough though.

Focus on her work, they said. Since her Blackbird had been turned to scrap, it wasn't like she had any diversions. Raven knew, since her life had been primarily devoted to training and work with only the occasional recreation, it should be no big deal.

But still, even if it was deserved punishment, she missed the car she had made herself.

Coming upright again, she clasped her hands in her lap, looking over the shining city. Knowing what would happen to this place and its people, it was a bit difficult. But she needed only to turn on the news to be reminded why pity and mercy were best not applied to these masses.

And it would give her a chance to settle with the Titans and restore herself in the eyes of her father.

She had not been told the two went hand in hand, but it was clear to her. Defeat at their hands, and he begins looking at another apprentice, another girl…

Had anyone seen her face in that moment they would think an entire department was about to be slashed by the young capitalist. As it was, a beeping interrupted her brooding.

Turning back to her desk, she pressed a button on a keyboard elegantly inlaid into the dark wood. A small screen slid out to stand in front of her on the desktop. She paused in surprise at the heading, blinking, and then smiled.

The stroke of another key brought up the image of Cyborg's upper body.

"Well hello Tin Man, been awhile," Raven Wilson remarked with a smirk.

"Uh, yeah, how you doing Raven?" he asked sheepishly. He was trying not to look at her? With a muttered cuss word, she put the wig back on.

"Not a word," she ordered him with a threatening finger. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I didn't say anything.

"Anywho, great to see you back in the saddle," the tall teen continued with a smile. She returned with one she knew looked genuine. He had helped put her in that tube after all – granted, Starfire was the one singled out. The alien girl had not only maimed her, but had even managed to scare her briefly; either one was unacceptable.

"Not quite; you probably saw the pictures," she sighed. Cyborg winced, no doubt contemplating the dread possibility of his precious T-Car being similarly killed. The fact he didn't boast about how the T-Car would have pulled through better spoke volumes.

"That's rough. I mean, damn. So you building a new one?" he asked delicately.

"No, Father's orders. No more automotive exploits, I get a chauffeur or walking. And with Donald getting his checks from Father, that's an airtight restriction," she told him with a sigh. Now he looked almost horrified.

"Dang! I'm surprised you would take that," Cyborg muttered. Her eyes narrowed and he realized he had said something wrong.

"Of course I take it. He's my father; I will gladly accept his punishments as readily as any reward. I'm not some blood obligation, he chose me solely because he wanted to. Everything I have and am comes from him," she told him, voice edged and low. Cyborg looked at her appraisingly, uncertain what to say to that.

Finally, she let out a breath and much of the tension seemed to drain. He laughed it off, palming the back of his head.

"Dang, you really are a daddy's girl. And your employees are probably still scared of you not knowing it!" he taunted.

"Shut up. Did you have a reason to call? Some of us are working you know," she huffed.

"Like you don't like a break from the paper pushing.

"But yeah, I just wanted to check in. Tried right after I heard, but ARES was stonewalling everybody on your treatment. Glad to see for myself you're back in action.

"Even without your wheels, I would like to, you know, hang out? Sometime?" he asked. He seemed nervous; after all, all their interactions had revolved around their semi-legal motor sport.

"It won't be easy with me on probation. But I am enough of a genius to think of a way to meet up within the rules," she told him with an assured smile.

'Especially since Father will want me to get all I can from you,' she smiled inwardly. Sadly, this scheme may kill Cyborg whether she wanted him dead or not.

But as he hung up, she knew her reservations were meaningless. Raven had made her choices, starting within the darkness beneath Steel City. She would do as her father wanted, and she would fulfill his wishes with excellence. It was _her_ place to be his strong hand, no one else's.

_Portland, USA:_

The party was in full swing, the beers were emptying and soon someone would have to make a run to the store. It was impromptu, nothing fancy, some packs and a pair of pizzas. They weren't a fancy group of men, and they were damn proud of it.

If not for the green armbands they could be mistaken for any group of young men messing around; having a good time on a budget.

The den and kitchen led into one another with only a bar dividing them. A man with a scraggly excuse of a dark beard and erring on the edge of tipsiness stood behind it. He watched the other lads cheer, playing back the acquittal announcement on the television. Cheering when their boosters came up on the screen and giving the usual slurs to the freak advocates' whining.

The man of the hour had pride of place on a worn but clean couch. He had been eating up the praise earlier without fully accepting it. Apparently he was taking that lawyer too seriously; victory should be celebrated to the fullest.

Three freaks down, another on a cane, and the one boy those Federal freak lovers managed to snare had gotten off.

Times like this made the almost tipsy man think that there might be hope for this world after all.

The doorbell ringing jolted him from his musings.

"S'okay! I'll get it," he told them. There was no pizza left anyway. He idly wondered who hadn't shown up yet, and was surprised to see a stranger when he opened the door.

"Johnny Jameson's delivery, sir," the man declared with a smile. The unshaven man blinked in surprise, looking at the domed platter the new arrival was holding. Sandwiches?

"Wrong address," he muttered. Dang, this guy looked too old to be a delivery boy, freaking lousy economy.

"No, it's right. We know you didn't order it; it was placed and paid for by credit. From Finn, with congratulations," the deliveryman insisted.

"Wow, the big man himself. Well bring it on in," he stepped back, waving the other man in with the bottle in his hand. The man in the delivery uniform smiled as he crossed the threshold. He handed it to the customer as he fumbled his wallet out.

"What do I owe you for the tip?" he asked.

"More than you bastards can ever repay," the deliveryman smiled.

"What?" the slightly tipsy man stuttered. A hand grabbed his neck and turned blue. He gasped for breath as ice spread over him. It surged over him, frosting followed by a smooth coating of white ice. In seconds he stood frozen into stillness, a look of confused surprise locked on his face.

Smile widening, the Metahuman pulled off his cap, tossing it aside to reveal blue hair underneath.

"Mike! Who is it?" someone called from the party.

"Special delivery, sorry it's a bit late," the killer called back. He rolled up his sleeves as his skin turned blue all over. He glanced at his victim and casually pushed him over. The man shattered over the hardwood floor – very fragile, you wouldn't know it had been a man moments before, he noted.

Behind him the door exploded in a wail.

The blue man flew forward, hitting the wall as wood shards smacked around him and bit into his back. Sliding to his knees he turned, snarling. A blonde woman walked in, her hair hanging loose about her shoulders. She wore a dark blue body suit with a short-sleeved black jacket unbuttoned. He scowled, recognizing her.

Black Canary stood in the doorway, eyes darting to the broken man scattered across the floor.

"Too late," she muttered angrily.

"Too early, they deserve this. They would kill you if they could, just like those innocents. Stand aside; take me, but let me do this much first!" he demanded, crouching now.

"No, you've sunk to their level – do you even know if that man was a part of it?" she demanded, shaking her head.

"They're all guilty, every one, they want our blood and they take it! You let them take it!" he ranted as men began to watch from the inner doorway.

With a scream of anger, he sprang to his feet, turning away from the superhero towards the watching men. A popping sound was heard and the man went down, bound by green ropes.

"I didn't need that, but thanks," the blonde woman said as a blonde man with a goatee and black mask wearing a green archer outfit appeared by her.

"I can appreciate a good speech, Canary, but save it for the Tower. This isn't a good crowd," he tipped his bow at the stunned drunks. They were muttering among themselves at the Metahuman at their feet and watching the Leaguers warily.

"Don't even think about it," she snapped. They retreated hastily as she stepped over to the blue man and pulled him up to his feet.

"Justice is done, vengeance comes," the killer declared. He twisted in her grip, trying to look at the woman behind him. He settled on the masked man in the doorway he was being led towards.

"For the forgotten, the vanished, and the murdered," the blue man smiled. He dug in his heel, prompting a frown from Canary… then he started to stiffen.

She released her grip as ice spread across his torso.

"Power to the freaks," he whispered, smiling widely, before the ice swallowed his face. For a second he stood there, a pristine statue of ice, then a crack spread audibly across his chest. With an eerie sound of chimes, the iceman shattered in a collapse of blue and crimson on the floor.

"God," Green Arrow whispered, looking at the shards.

"'Nother one down!" the foremost drunk cheered. Black Canary's fist struck his chest and sent him falling back into his fellows. Green Arrow put a hand on her shoulder; she was shaking with fury. He trusted her not to go too far, but that punch just now might be enough these days for trouble.

Pulling out his communicator, he noted the two corpses could only be told apart by where they laid.

_Days Later, Somewhere Near Jump City:_

Jinx's eye fluttered open; light poured in and she screwed it shut with a moan. Her head was pounding, but she could tell something was very wrong. This wasn't her bed, and that wasn't the seat cushion from her workbench. It certainly wasn't the couch.

'What happened, where am I?' she wondered through the pounding. It was worse than the hangover, which so hadn't happened.

"Wakey, wakey, my duckies. Dust out yer peepers and blow out yer ears," someone with an English accent commanded.

"Where are we?" she heard Robin demand close by.

"Why, you're right where you belong; you lot are in school!" the Englishman answered with a laugh.

That made her force her eye open and turned her head, seeing the other Titans. Like her, they were bound to wooden chairs. And not conventionally, she realized, looking down at the white energy visibly coursing through her wooden bonds.

She looked around; they were in a massive room with white walls facing an old fashioned staircase. She spotted the speaker as he surfed down a handrail.

He was a beanpole of a man, with an old-fashioned British invasion red haircut. The retro look was furthered by the loose shirt styled after a Union Jack and tiny rectangular sunglasses he wore. He landed with a flourish, tucking a crystal-topped cane under his arms.

"Who are you? !" Robin demanded.

"Such rudeness! Sadly typical of the younger generation – no respect for yer betters and elders.

"But then, that's why yer all 'ere! Welcome to Mad Mod's School for Misbehaving Youths! I am, naturally, Mad Mod, your new headmaster, teacher, and guidance counselor. My mission in life is to make disrespectable, misbehaving nippers like you lot, shape up and mind yer betters.

"Concerned parties of respectable adults have called on me to get your act together for ya.

"Now, you all know each other-!" the ginger haired Englishman with tiny sunglasses and white bellbottoms proclaimed.

"Enough already! When I get out of this chair I'll shut you up myself!" Jinx yelled. Mad Mod glared at her and crossed over to the witch, wagging a finger. Jinx flinched as he struck out with that cane.

It missed her head, hitting the back of the chair with a clang. The ruby top began to give off streaming white light that made the hairs on her neck rise.

"Easier said than done, little witchy! These chairs, this whole school, were built to tilt the old field away from them super powers you lot are so fond of! You people have been able to mock the institution as vigilante and villain alike for too long!

"Well, science is the equalizer. You're in my world, and my rules are facts.

"First rule, we are not progressive blokes here. We go with the tried and true methods of curbing delinquency," Mad Mod explained, leaning down into Jinx's personal space. Electricity jolted Jinx as the chair shocked her, and she slumped in her seat still conscious as the flow passed.

"Don't you touch her!" Beast Boy yelled, turning into his humanoid form and straining against the elastics again. He yelped when he was shocked as Mad Mod struck his cane against the floor.

"No talking while teacher is teaching! I can see we have a long way to go before you are ready to reenter society as productive little drones.

_RING! RING! RING!_

"Oh dear, there's the bell! Time for class!" Mad Mod laughed.

He struck his red crystal topped cane to the floor for another metallic clang. He gave them all a smile that showed off too many teeth in her opinion.

"Class is in session," he stated. The floor beneath her chair vanished and Jinx fell helplessly into the darkness.

_Rochester, USA:_

The old man wiped a spot of vanilla off the counter top with a practiced swish of the towel. His wrinkled face was molded to smiles and he held one as he looked out over his shop. He could remember times when a thin crowd like this would be a disappointment.

But times were hard in these parts today, he reminded himself. And an ice cream shop wasn't exactly an essential.

Decades he'd been here by the park, small but good enough for the people. A great location when he got it. In the last month there'd been two murders in that park, three reported rapes, and who knows how many assaults and robberies.

It was the kind of crap his father had told him about in the old country. His parents had run away from it, but he wasn't. This was his, humble though it was, inconsequential even; he would be here as long as anyone would have him.

The children, like the boy that had made that dribble just now. Could they not see it? Or could they still smile because they didn't know the world was supposed to be better than this? A frozen dairy treat wasn't much to offer the neighborhood, but that and a smile was all he could really do these days.

More would require courage, and he didn't even have enough to paint over those three letters scrawled across the shop front under his father's name. Decades he had wiped away every tag mark, but now he had to let it stand there.

The entry bell rang and he reflexively widened his smile and turned to face the door. His customary greeting choked in his throat.

'Oh no,' he muttered in his head. It was nice out but overcast, he should have expected this. But he hadn't, stupid cowardly old man.

She was seventeen; he remembered when she had been brought in wrapped up like a mummy under a purple dress in a stroller. Her skin was uncovered now, white as snow with a rest musical symbol tattooed in black on her left cheek. A pretty face, not beautiful, but better he thought by being pretty. Her eyes were the same color as the cherries in the jar and the hair pulled back into a ponytail was even paler than her skin.

She was dressed in a black shirt with a long black skirt going down to her boots. A dark red jacket capped her look. And a little girl with the exact same coloring was tugging her across the shop wearing a pink jacket and denims.

'The tag, didn't they see it?' he wondered, sweating.

"Hey old timer," the teenager greeted him with a wave.

"Strawberry chocolate swirl!" the girl demanded, tugging urgently on her sister's hand.

"Well you heard that, along with everyone on the block," she rolled her eyes. She pulled her arm up, lifting the girl off the floor. If it was supposed to calm her down it failed, as she began trying to swing. So small…

"No, I can't," he managed, watching as a few customers slipped out the door.

"You out?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I can't serve you! Please leave," he said more forcefully than he intended. The kid was back on the ground as the teenager looked at him in shock.

"The hell? ! I've been coming here my whole life. What is this… crap?" she demanded, remembering the kid.

"I'm sorry Helen, they've been tagging and they told me – just please go," he begged, wiping at his brow. The bell rang again and ice bloomed in his stomach.

Helen's face fell; she must have seen it in his face, pulling her sister in front of her. The bell rang again as the last customers left.

"Helen?" the little girl asked, looking up.

Five of them, white and a darker kid. Punks, dressing like they crawled out of a dump, and those green armbands on. The leader, the kid that stuck out, he had that gleam in his eye. A predator, and his smile was the satisfaction of finding prey.

"You're on the wrong side of the park," the lead punk announced. Accent, Indian, second generation? Apparently these punks weren't picky as long as you were all human.

"We're not looking for trouble," Helen said. She turned around to face them, edging away from the counter, trying to keep between them and the girl.

"That's hard to believe, you people are trouble. You're not wanted here, you're trespassing," the punk smiled, taking a step forward. The back up spread out between the tables, one coming up to the counter and smiling right at him.

The old man glanced at the silent alarm under the counter, then to the punk watching him. He had a shaved head and sunglasses on, weak stubble on his upper lip. The punk put a hand on the counter and shook his head.

"Stay away, or I'll blast you through the wall!" Helen threatened, pointing a finger at the nearest punk as they closed a circle on the girls.

They laughed, a real good chortle; when she looked at the old man, the terror was plain in her eyes.

"You can't blast dick, freak. Your kind can crawl all over the walls, ceiling, and that. But you can't even go to the beach without frying," the lead punk shook his head. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a crowbar.

"Wait, wait!" she screamed, backing against a table. The swing took her right in the mouth. The old man winced, hearing her teeth break.

_Beneath Jump City:_

On the screen, Terra tried to ford a river in some brown hill country. Apparently not wanting to risk using her powers, she attempted a more traditional crossing, up to her waist. He realized she was going to slip before she did. She went under with a cry and a splash, vanishing out of sight. The screen pulled back, catching a wider area in its view.

Terra came up with another splash, swimming awkwardly with her now soaked pack weighing her down. The drenched blonde was panting when she reached the bank and flopped down on the stones. A hand glowing to match her now shining eyes, she pulled up four river rocks. The stones shot off, tearing into a tree on the opposite bank.

The teenager grinned as it fell. The image was zoomed and frozen.

Slade turned his attention from that screen to nearly a dozen others still playing on the massive wall monitor. Another showing Titans Tower shoved Terra's screen out of center space.

"Well?" he asked. Midnight emerged from the shadows of the room and bowed deeply to Slade. Straightening up, the light caught on her mask. Solid black, save for the copper outlining her right eye.

"The tower certainly appears deserted. No signs of forced entry. But there was this planted on the beach above the tide line." Slade turned and plucked the object from his apprentice's hand.

"The Schoolmaster; how interesting. It would seem Jump's bubble is beginning to be breached in earnest," Slade commented. The cheap little plastic rod held a similarly small Union Jack.

"What is our next move?" she asked.

"Nothing. If the Titans cannot overcome his madness they will be back and still be an obstacle. If they prevail… well, I suppose that makes your own failure more forgivable.

"Return to your duties," he ordered. Midnight didn't flinch at the words, bowing again before sinking out of sight in a swirl of shadows.

Slade looked to the screen as the tower image was replaced by Mad Mod's grinning profile.

"You've made a powerful enemy, Titans. Who wishes to bring you under the yoke, I wonder?" Slade mused in the dark as the gears continued to turn.

**X X X**

Helen was bleeding all over the pastel tiles. Her face was a mess, white hair soaking up the blood.

Her sister was under a nearby table, curled around the single metal table leg in the center of the table. For now she was ignored.

"Should we be getting out?" a punk with a green bandana asked.

"Yeah, but one thing. Cooper!" the leader called, stepping over his victim. The tallest punk, who had shoulder length greasy brown hair, had been by the door watching the street.

"You haven't taken a lick, man," the leader said.

"Keeping watch," he clipped.

"Good, but we're out of here. Once you get in a hit," the old man couldn't see his face but he knew the punk was smiling. Cooper looked past his boss to the teenager trying to curl up on the floor.

"What's left to hit?" he asked. He took a step back as the bloody crowbar rose up under his chin.

"We are all in this together. That means _together_, now kick that freak bitch and we get out of here. Or…" he left the question floating in the air.

"Yeah, yeah," Cooper cut him off, pushing past. He stepped up to where Helen laid and glanced to the old man. Their eyes met for a moment, and the longhaired man flinched away.

"Well?" bandanna punk demanded. Cooper set his mouth in a line and drew back a foot. A shrill cry made him stumble as the girl sprang from her spot under the table, throwing herself over Helen, trembling and sobbing.

"The hell?" Cooper cursed, looking at the sight.

"What are you waiting for, man? This one's even fresh. Now, Cooper," the leader pressed.

"Quit riding me, Al!" he shouted. He pulled his foot back, and glass shattered. Cooper hacked and stumbled as a hand grabbed his neck from behind, wrapping fingers around his throat. The arm attached to the hand stretched across the shop out a hole in the glass door pane.

This strangeness just registered before the arm rebounded like a bungee cord. Cooper flew back with it, shattering the door as he was pulled out.

"Shit! Pieces! Now!" Al yelled, pulling out a pistol with his free hand.

The storefront burst inward, the widows flanking the door shattering as two figures came through them. A shot was fired, but the black blurs were already moving. A punk was slammed into a table so hard it broke in half under him. Another blur backhanded a chair away as bandana punk threw it at him.

"Shoot them, shoot them, you dumb shits!" Al screamed, firing more bullets at his attackers. The old man hit the deck. There was one more shout, a man screamed, and Al cursed. Wood broke, the girl wailed.

Then all was quiet but the girl's sobbing.

Putting a hand on top of the counter, he peeked over the top. The punks were down, all but the leader. His attention was on the two new arrivals. A werewolf with long black furred arms, and a stout green man who didn't have any hair, not even eyebrows.

Green guy was watching the last punk, who was licking his lips, eyes darting between the two Metahumans. That was when the old man realized he was standing over Helen and her sister. The white haired girl's head was buried in Helen's shoulder, her hands clutching bits of her jacket. Al's gun pointed down at her head.

"Do it, and you'll die screaming. You only have one bullet left," Green stated. It wasn't even heated; he may as well have been discussing the weather.

"You will let me walk out," the chief punk demanded. He had lost his shades, and his cool, apparently. The old man guessed he hadn't expected to fight someone who was ready to fight back.

"No, but we'll be nicer," Green smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. They were blue eyes, the old man noticed, surprised by that.

"You're shaking. I can smell your fear, coward. You prey on lambs straying from the flock, and think yourself a knight. But when the dragon appears you become an empty suit, only good for falling apart," the wolf growled, crouching.

"Shut up! Back off, or I swear to Luthor!" Al shouted.

No one seemed to notice the hand stretching out until it grabbed the gun barrel. His gun fired as it was jerked away, shattering a tile. Green guy was on the punk in an instant, lifting him up by the neck. Al hacked, trying to breath as the green man stepped back, lifting him away from the girls.

"No," a voice called as the bell tinkled again. The old man went back behind the counter as the man he assumed to be Stretchy walked in. He didn't need to see this.

"No?" Green demanded coldly.

"No, he's a messenger. Give this to your boss," the man demanded. The old man looked over the countertop again. He couldn't see the new guy's face with the punk and green guy in the way. But he could see they were all three wearing black windbreakers. Green's had three letters stitched across it; he couldn't see the back of Wolf's, but knew it was there too.

'The M.P.A., dear God it's going to be war,' he thought as Green tucked a red rose down the punk's collar. The old man went back behind the counter.

Feet hit the floor and Wolf growled.

"Go, and don't come back. These people are under the Association's protection now," Stretchy Guy said. The punk bolted, slamming the door open.

"Get the kid home, take her to the clinic, ASAP.

"And old man? You didn't see anything, you hear? You Normals are good for that. Oh, and the only people you refuse to serve, are the ones like you, and them," the M.P.A. man said.

He waited an eternity until he heard them leave. A part of him thought it would be a trick, and it was. The werewolf loomed on the other side of the counter when he peeked over, cradling the trembling girl in his large arms. He motioned up with his muzzle and the old man obeyed, standing up and bracing himself against the counter.

"I believe you owe her something?" the werewolf grinned, showing off his teeth. The motions came surprisingly simple. Apparently decades of the same actions trumped even the shredded nerves of the last few minutes. He put three scoops in the cup, and held it out.

The kid took it but was just staring off, not seeming to even notice it beyond holding it. Her too pale face was tear streaked, her coat splotched with her sister's blood, he saw. The werewolf seemed satisfied at whatever principal he had lingered for. He turned and with another tinkling of the bell he was gone with the girl.

Just like that the ice cream man was alone, with the blood and the ruin. Half the tables were busted and the punks were still scattered, and unless necks could bend that way, one of them wouldn't be getting back up. Their blood and Helen's was all over the floor.

He knew he didn't have the time or spray to get these stains out, much less all the ones to come. The HDL and the MPA, Conway and Rose, there was only one way it could end. All he could do was clean up until next time, and keep not seeing anything.

Wiping his face with a worn handkerchief, he looked at the cooler built into the counter – strawberry chocolate swirl. He hit the glass cover, but all it did was hurt his hand.

He didn't know it yet, but the green HDL tag under his father's name had been whited out. Three new letters were freshly sprayed across it in red. He wouldn't be wiping that one away either.

**X X X**

"No sunglasses for students, clear violation of dress code," Mad Mod's voice echoed around Jinx. A bust of the ugly man rolled up to where she struggled in the chair's binds. Focusing her attention on the toothy piece of art, she watched the head split in half as a robot arm emerged. It plucked her shades away delicately, only to make a fist and smash them.

The room was some kind of history room. Scenes from British history she recognized, a few others she didn't. But all the figures, including women in gowns, bore the face of Mad Mod.

'And people say _I'm_ vain,' Jinx thought. A projection screen came down in front of her as a projector hummed to life somewhere behind her. A fuzzy old-fashioned black and white scene appeared on the screen. The background was dominated by the classic painting of Queen Victoria, again with Mod's face. Mad Mod himself walked into sight and stopped to lean over in an exaggerated manner to inspect a corner of the painting.

He seemed to notice her in surprise, and twirling his cane, walked into the foreground until his upper body filled the screen.

"Welcome to History 000. I've got good news, and _baaad_ news," he announced with a too-sad-to-be-real tone for the last part.

"The bad news is you've got yerself a pop quiz. But the good news is you know all the answers! It's your history we're taking about, after all. But here's a little pick me up, courtesy of the Governors," Mad Mod said, putting on a square professor's hat.

Jinx squawked as something pierced her arm. Another bust had rolled up on her, this one opening its mouth impossibly wide to reveal three syringes, each piercing her left arm.

"What the hell!" she cursed, watching the contents be injected into her.

"Just a little something to relax those tight lips and jog the memory.

"First question, how long have you been in the White Glove's pocket?" he asked.

"Who? What are you talking about," she demanded.

"Wrong answer! Let's try another. How many traitors are in the Watchtower?" he pressed, leaning forward so his grainy black and white face filled the screen. Jinx felt the sweat run down her face; her left arm was numb, and her ears felt like water was running out of them.

"I wouldn't… know," she managed. She tried to turn away from the screen, but the chair top grabbed her head and pointed her eye back to the screen.

"One more try, this is the big one! Who is the Good Man?" he asked. She pressed her lips tight, almost feeling the name spell itself out on her tongue, while a mouse ran around under top.

"So you want to play it the hard way? That's fine, with punks ya often have ta break 'em down before ya can make 'em something decent. A hypno screen ought to help relax that tight trap of a bean ya got!" Mad Mod laughed as the filmstrip melted.

The blank screen was filled with lines in an instant – black and white, moving, swirling, diagonal, up and down. Directions she could only describe as blue or mauve as the pattern danced before her, trying to follow it. Then she saw the pattern and wished she hadn't.

It was _him_. Made of lines of black and white, he reached into a pocket, pulling out a screwdriver.

"Hhk, hhh, aahkk!" Jinx wheezed as the tool point paused before her eye, swirling and twisting like the arm holding it out from the screen. Her shoes biting her toes distracted her as the point was driven through her good eye.

"NOW LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN, LASSIE. WHO _ISSSS_ THE GOOD MAN? I'D HATE TO BREAK DOWN ALL YER MENTAL BARRIERS. SO MUCH EASIER TO REALIGN THAN REBUILD," Mad Mod's voice echoed in her head. She felt the hand let go of the tool and start feeling around her skull.

She pushed the answers to the questions back, slamming any door she could. Mad Mod's fist punched through each door, making her scream with each one.

"HOW MANY SPIES IN THE LEAGUE?

"WHO IS THE GOOD MAN?

"WHAT IS THIS GREATER GOOD?

"WHY ARE YOU SPYING ON THE TITANS?

"WHO IS THE GOOD MAN?

"HOW FAR IS THEIR REACH?

"WHO IS THE GOOD MAN?" the questions boomed in her head. She could picture cracks appearing on her scalp; her head was going to break like an egg! Like an egg!

Another Mad Mod leaned on the back of her chair, watching the witch twist, scream, and shudder, while he whispered the questions into her ear. Such tears, it could almost make him regret frying her mind… almost.

The last door buckled and fell. Then there was nothing left between the swirling hand and the name it wanted. She knew she couldn't let him have it, she couldn't betray that!

The longest finger brushed the name, and it shattered into dust. The rooms in her head and everything in them cracked and slipped out of alignment.

Jinx's eye went wide, and drool began to pool in a corner of her mouth.

"Oi, now! That's not supposed to happen to you! Bloody hell, you busted yer own bean? ! Well, you wouldn't be the first, nothing a trip to the nurse won't-" Mod grumbled, smacking his cane into his hand. The screen behind him ripped apart before Cyborg burst through with a yell.

Mod ducked the punch and leapt up over the follow-up. Flipping in mid-air, he landed to stand on the ceiling.

"Well, the computer geek crashes History. Wonders never cease," Mod smiled. The ceiling tile he was standing on slid up out of sight with him like an inverted elevator.

"Well, here's a history lesson I know you'll find exciting," Mod's voice echoed from hidden speakers. The paintings slid up, revealing suits of armor with Mad Mod faceplates, holding electrified swords.

Ripping Jinx free from the chair, Cyborg slung her over his shoulder and formed the sonic cannon.

_Shortly:_

"Robin, I wish to thank you for rescuing me," Starfire said as she floated behind the Boy Wonder. They had made their way back to the main room – _a_ main room Robin reminded himself. He hated to rain on Starfire's good mood, but they were still in Mad Mod's hand. The catatonic Beast Boy she was carrying was proof enough of that.

How had this freak broken into the Tower? ! Their safe haven had been violated; as the co-designer of it, the failure of the Tower to give them any protection from this lunatic was acid in his gut. But there was no time for that, he knew. Once he beat in Mod's face, then he could get some answers.

He stopped by the staircase and the cover it afforded, looking around. Mad Mod was being quiet. Had they lost him? He wasn't in complete control, their escape from the classrooms proved that. He listened to Starfire try and stir Beast Boy with shouts of his name.

"BEAST BOY!" Starfire bellowed. She wasn't even facing him and it made Robin jerk up at the volume. Did super strength extend to lungs, he wondered?

"Starfire, I don't think that's working," he said. He turned, watching Starfire lift one of Beast Boy's arms and let it fall back to the floor. She bit her lip, looking at him; she was scared. He had seen her get angry, but even when she was a hunted fugitive she had never been truly scared to his eyes. Or was it just that unlike then, she had her barriers down?

He was trying to think of some way to comfort her without lying when he heard heavy footsteps on the floor. He ducked down and turned to where Beast Boy laid moaning.

"Keep him quiet," he whispered. Starfire nodded, her eyes steadying at the new instruction. She clamped a hand over his moaning mouth as Robin drew a birdaraang, readying for the new target to get close.

They weren't Mad Mod's cat footsteps, much heavier. Then again, a suit of armor was just as likely in this madhouse. He sprang into action, already throwing his weapon. It was too late to stop when he registered Cyborg was his target, but he was able to miss.

Cyborg lowered his sonic cannon, running his other hand over his left cheek.

"Dang Robin, you trying to give me a shave?" Cyborg asked, smiling.

"Friend Cyborg, you are alright!" Starfire cheered, glomping the big man.

"Yeah, Mad Mod's whacked out computer lab tried to crash my systems. His hardware might be crazy, but he's got nothing on my software skills," Cyborg smiled.

"Crash into the door!" Jinx shouted. Robin blinked behind his mask while Starfire looked around behind Cyborg. Jinx was standing behind the larger Titan, glancing around, arms tight against her chest. Her glasses were gone, revealing the patch and a twitching eye.

"Friend Jinx?" Starfire asked, taking a step towards the pink haired girl. Cyborg stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Mad Mod messed her up before I busted her out of History. She's got injection wounds all along her arm, and I don't think that screen crap helped.

"I'm not sure how out of it she is. Witch still fights, but she isn't making much sense," Cyborg sighed.

"Answer… none of the above!" Jinx whispered, then shouted, before crouching, looking around frantically. Robin slammed a fist into his gloved palm. It made Jinx jump and the other two Titans look back to him. His expression was calm, but they knew him well enough to get the angry vibe coming from him.

"Oh, this is terrible. The Mad Mod has damaged Beast Boy's brain as well!" Starfire exclaimed. Sure enough, the drooling wonder was rolling about on the floor, moaning. Cyborg looked thoughtful, crouching down to the smaller Titan.

"Let me give this a crack. It made Jinx go from drooling to spaz," Cyborg suggested. Robin nodded, and then scowled as Cyborg belched in Beast Boy's ear. But he had to stop his mouth from hanging open as Beast Boy laughed very lucidly and complimented Cyborg.

'Today is committed to not making sense, isn't it?' Robin decided.

"Why am I covered in drool?" Beast Boy inquired, warily getting to his feet.

"You swam in the river of the mind after eating. Mind the cramps!" Jinx exclaimed jerkily. Beast Boy looked at her oddly.

"So, you okay now, BB?" Cyborg asked.

"What? Yeah, why? Wait? ! Did he hypnotize me?" Beast Boy demanded. Robin answered.

"You and Jinx both. But it seems he tried a chemical approach with her as well. We need to get her out of here and treated," Robin stated. He cautiously grabbed one of Jinx's hands and started to lead her towards the stairs.

"The key is Mad Mod's cane. Every time he changes the rules in this place it's with that cane. It must be his remote control so he can manipulate the school away from control panels," Robin stated.

"We shall retrieve it immediately and deliver his most deserved punishments," Starfire chimed in.

"All I'll need is a minute and I can hack that thing and we can turn this school on him," Cyborg grinned.

Jinx followed, muttering and running a hand through her spiky pink hair. Beast Boy scowled and took point, glaring around the room.

"Yeah, I'll show that demented doofus you can't mess with a Titan's head!" Beast Boy declared. As if on cue – and Robin wouldn't be surprised if it was – the lowermost stair popped up revealing a hypno screen. Beast Boy stopped in his tracks before falling backwards, moaning again. Robin jerked his head away, and felt Jinx try to crush his hand.

"AEEEEK!" she screamed, thrusting her free hand out. The hex struck the screen, blasting it to pieces. A tsking sound was head before the smoke cleared to show Mad Mod standing atop the white staircase.

"Typical, ye little ankle-biters set yerself a goal and think it's just cricket from there. Well, let's just see you try and lay a finger on this," Mad Mod grinned, showing off a mouthful of crooked pearly whites.

"Titans, get that cane!" Robin ordered. Leaping onto the handrail, he dashed up, with Starfire flying as Cyborg scooped up the remaining Titans to charge up the stairs.

_Somewhere Underground:_

The mist that filled the dark chamber split as the thick metal door slid open. A line of lights clicked on, revealing rows of red blinking servers and a single terminal with a steel chair. Midnight stepped into the chamber as the last of the mist evaporated. Pulling her mask off, she walked over to the terminal and pressed a seemingly random button on the unmarked keyboard. An apparatus whizzed down from the ceiling and circled her head, scanning it. Completing three rotations, the device gave a beep and withdrew.

The screen came on with the message, "Welcome User 3".

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, sending lines of data and images gliding and twisting across the screen. Learning to process data like this had been very difficult. But it allowed her access to one of her father's most coveted resources. Factual information on this world ruled by masks and deception.

A sketch appeared, filling the screen, of an old balding man with a crooked smile wearing an old-fashioned schoolmaster uniform and holding a disk with concentric circles laid out on it.

"Name Unknown, alias Schoolmaster. Alias 2, Mad Mod," she read as the image was replaced by a photo of a red-haired thirty-something man with little sunglasses wearing a black suit.

"Former head of the British Institute for Prevention of Metahuman Crisis, founded in secret to prevent the UK from sliding into anarchy or dictatorship in response to the global Metahuman population explosion and escalation of 'Super Activity'.

"Generated great success with use of mental manipulation for the purpose of social/mental conditioning to create lasting rehabilitation. Schools, established throughout the Kingdom in secret, processed and released 'persons of troubling nature' back into society. Policy extended at height to both Metahuman criminals, super criminals, and various radicals considered a threat to social stability. Program deemed success with drop of Metahuman and organized crime to acceptable levels throughout UK and gradual eradication of both organized Anti-Meta and Pro-Meta organizations.

"Height of power with the establishment of state sponsored 'Cavalier' Metahuman military structure based 80% off graduates.

"Fell out off power to covert outlaw status after being exposed by peers for planning to brainwash key government officials. Plot was intended to implement nationwide programs to reform all of Britain to his ideals. Removed from position by Cavaliers, secret fugitive due to Britain's official denial of his existence as the Headmaster.

"Erratic personality, working as mercenary specializing in breaking down otherwise unflappable figures. Seemingly gathering money and resources, possibly to attempt another takeover of the United Kingdom," Raven read his profile and looked over a list of known "graduates".

"Well, so this is Britain's skeleton in the closet. It hardly measures up to Cadmus and the rumors around Prometheus; transparency is so dead these days. Hmm, somehow I think the Titans will surprise him – they're better than they should be," Raven mused.

_Meanwhile:_

Robin slammed his fist into the floor. Of course it was a fake exit! Mad Mod had given them that brief moment of thinking they had won through his traps only to yank the rug out from under them.

He should have seen it coming.

"Well here we are again, duckies," the Englishman cackled. They were back in the multistory lobby, or at least one version of that chamber. Mod was standing on a giant playing card floating in the center of the room, looking down on them. A school bell rang somewhere.

"There's the bell, class is over. And you lot haven't learned a bloody thing, failing grades all around! Only thing for it, you'll have to repeat the whole lesson. And Miss Jinx, I'll be expecting your make up test posthaste," Mod grimed as a giant red F appeared on the bottom of his platform. Mod laughed maniacally as the walls turned into hypno screens all around them. He heard a thudding sound and saw Jinx hitting herself in the head with the handle of her broom. Even using that in their chase, they had been unable to catch Mod.

Cyborg tried to snatch it out of her hand but the witch sidestepped him to climb on the broom and shot into the air.

"Titans, get that cane!" Robin yelled again. Beast Boy and Starfire took to the air, heading straight for Mad Mod. Cyborg and Robin ran across the floor as the checkerboard pattern rose, revealing compartments holding various bust-bots primed for battle.

Mad Mod frowned as the Titans managed to tear through both his aerial and ground robots. Even all those robots were only slowing them down a bit in a straight up fight.

"Oi now! Am I going to have to separate you lot? !" he demanded, striking his cane against the platform. The floor began to rise in square columns. One black square in particular took a barrage of starbolts Starfire had fired at Mad Mod. She tried to fly around it, only for more to rise, blocking her path to the villain.

Robin and Cyborg braced themselves as the floor stopped rising beneath their feet. They were now on separate levels. Spider-walker Mad Mod busts moved to surround Cyborg, prompting the teen to charge his cannon. Before he had a chance to use it, hex blasts rained around him, followed by explosions as the robots overloaded.

Jinx cut though the air erratically, firing off hexes at near anything that caught her eye, trying to look anywhere but at the increasingly encompassing screens.

A green rhino tore through a column of tazer-wielding busts as he made his way up a black and white staircase toward the villain. A column popped up in front of him and slid open to reveal a swirling hypno screen.

Changing back, Beast Boy turned as he slid, carried by the momentum. He felt a metal hand grab his hand and jerk him around.

"Don't look at the screen, don't look at the-!" he chanted as his eyes looked as far left as they could. An explosion flash filled his eyes and the hand was able to jerk him fully around in surprise. To see a burning-busted screen with purple sparks playing over it.

The metal fingers broke at the joints as a green elephant appeared in their grip. Bellowing a charge, he stampeded up the stairs, trampling the robots in his path, ignoring the cuts they were making on the thick legs.

Mod glanced to the approaching threat and sneered.

"Time to do something about the elephant in the room," he remarked, striking his cane on the edge of the platform.

The stairs in front of the elephant retracted in a swoosh and with a trill of alarm it fell out of sight; a green falcon emerged moments later, only to come face to face with a hypno screen. The stairs snapped back up to catch the drooling Beast Boy as he fell, and began to deescalate him away from Mod.

"Superpowers are no match for superior technology and preparation, kiddies. That's one lesson I hope even you lot can learn," Mad Mod laughed, watching Cyborg get blindsided by a tactically placed stun bot.

Robin vaulted onto the platform behind Mod and charged at him, swinging his staff. Without even turning around, the suited man leapt into the air, evading him. At the arch of his jump, the Englishman seemed to float before coming down in a flip to land on his feet, facing the Boy Wonder.

Growling, Robin pressed his attack, not even holding back potentially deadly strikes with these stakes. But somehow the man just barely escaped him. Mad Mod wasn't even sweating, or showing any sign of exertion. And his body language was devoid of any fear. Something was not right.

Mad Mod leapt to avoid the closest attack yet and landed in an impossible lounging position in the air, seemingly balancing on his cane.

"Oh give it up cubby, YOU'VE ALREADY LOST!" Mod shouted gleefully.

Robin glanced off the platform. The chairs were back. Cyborg was struggling against one. As he watched, Starfire was being locked in. And Beast Boy was a drooling wreck in his own. Jinx whizzed by, pursued by a flight of Mad Mod bots.

Robin didn't think; it wasn't working. Letting instinct take over, he followed through on another lunge, and somehow breached Mod's defenses. His fingers reached for the cane, and passed right through it.

Rolling to his feet, for a moment Robin panicked. The cane couldn't be stolen; their goal was unattainable. But Mad Mod slipped, his look of surprise and, yes, the first bit of fear let Robin follow what he had just seen through.

"The cane… the cane is fake! Which means you and the rest of this place-" Robin grinned.

"No spoilers!" Mad Mod screamed, striking his fake cane and getting a fake chime. Robin didn't pay attention to the latest trick. Leaping into the air, he grabbed unto Jinx's leg as she passed on her broom.

"Aeek!" she shrieked, smacking him in the head.

"Jinx, listen to me, the way out is through. Blast the wall screen and fly through!" he yelled, holding on. He had to gamble on her power's effectiveness against tech, and her being able to understand him.

He watched her turn towards the nearest wall and accelerate. And kept going…

"Blast it!" he yelled as it filled their vision. She let loose the hex blast building in her free hand just as they reached the screen.

The world ripped and they plunged into darkness.

A steel beam stopped them, sending Robin to the ground holding Jinx as they hit concrete. He winced under the impact as Jinx's snapped broom clattered to the floor around them. Looking around the dark concrete structure, he saw lines of mechs, rows of doors on ropes, props on conveyor belts – and cables running all over the floor. He pulled Jinx over to the biggest bundle he could see and cut notches out of their insulation with his last birdarang. He pressed her sweating hands over the exposed wires. Her eye was screwed shut and she was trembling. He took a breath, he need to get this right.

"Jinx, this is the source of Mad Mod's power. It's this tech, it's exposed to you now, destroy it, destroy the school now!" Robin commanded. Her eye snapped open, lighting up the dim room, as purple light surged along the cables in all directions. Light bulbs exploded around them, screens rolled up and explosions sounded near and far as machinery ground to a halt.

_Soon:_

Robin kicked the grate out and emerged, birdarang and staff in hand, from the vent. Red light filled the control room, back up power having kicked in.

There it was, the big chair, surrounded by broken, smoking screens, keyboards, and even a series of pull ropes and foot pedals. It was a strange combination of cutting edge and near antique technology to look at it. But he had seen too well how effective it could be in practice to scoff.

Scowling, silent as a cat, he came up on the chair, ready for whatever trump card the man behind the curtain might have. He had felt a pang of guilt leaving the unconscious Jinx behind, but he was confident the others, with the simulation destroyed, would find her. If not… then he would deserve to answer for it.

'But, every second of delay could mean…' he thought, jerking the chair around. Empty, gone!

Alone, he could let his composure crack, baring his teeth as his jaw clenched. He had left a teammate vulnerable in enemy territory, and all for getting there too late to apprehend the one who violated her mind! ?

The seat cushion slid apart and a light flared on. Robin stepped back, raising the birdarang to throw, as a hologram of Mad Mod appeared. The Englishman shouldered his cane and smiled at Robin before letting his cane go to balance unnaturally, in order offer him slow clapping applause.

"Bravo, laddie, bravo. If you're seeing this you managed to give me the slip.

"You make the short list. And it's not a list of only dropouts.

"And before you break out the good tea, you'd best remember I nicked you from your own place once. When school's back in session, I'll do it again. And next time there will be no unexcused absences.

"The Age of Hoodlums is ending, the big daddies have come home and they're _verrrry_ disappointed. So I'll be seeing you and your fellow miscreants.

"In the meantime, sleep well," Mad Mod smiled, giving a two-fingered British salute. With a flicker, the hologram faded, leaving Robin alone in the dark.

A screen flicked on as the system hummed, apparently trying to reboot, he supposed. An image appeared of the other Titans walking cautiously down a darkened corridor, their way lit by Cyborg's shoulder light and a starbolt as they carried Beast Boy and Jinx.

They had beaten Mod, but this did not feel like a victory to him.

That threat would be meaningless, his pride be damned. He was calling Bruce to get the Tower's security improved.

The psycho had gotten away, and they always came back. But they would be the ones ready for him when he did, Robin vowed silently, vanishing into flickering shadows.

_Two Days Later, Titans Tower:_

Beast Boy stood in front of the metal chamber door, fist raised. He was alone in the corridor, and he hadn't told anyone he was coming here; he had been here awhile. It would be simple to just walk away.

Robin wanted to give her space, and even Starfire had agreed, however reluctantly. Maybe he should just go with the flow?

Beast Boy stopped worrying about what to say and knocked on the door before he talked himself out of it. The green teen took a deep breath as if he was about to plunge into deep water.

Maybe he was, in a sense.

The door slid open a small space, revealing one pink eye looking out. She hadn't been crying that he could see, but the twinkle he had so often seen was not there either.

"Hey Jinx, can I come in?" he asked. She pulled away from the door and he thought that was a "no" until the door slid the rest of the way open.

He walked into the Goth-decorated room, glancing around. She had gotten some new figurines, he noted, since the last time he was in here. Still had that old Superman poster, but BB guessed he was some sort of personal hero to the witch. Weirder things happened.

Having let him in, Jinx took a seat at her work area and picked up a fancy black and gold pen. She shifted some papers around on the tabletop, apparently examining them. Beast Boy sat down on the bed, twiddling his thumbs, waiting.

He waited until the cat clock on her dresser announced ten minutes had passed before he spoke up.

"Are you okay?" he blurted. She froze in her detail work on the papers and he actually slapped himself.

Okay? ! Mad Mod had forced entry into her mind and she had to get patched up by the Martian Manhunter himself. Not to mention getting detoxified in the Watchtower. Asking her if she was okay… another slap, he decided.

"Don't hit yourself, idiot," Jinx sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong," Jinx answered.

"Would you like me to leave?" he asked.

"No," she stated firmly. He noticed she wasn't wearing her uniform; she had on jeans and a long sleeve dark top. Her hair was still in its spiky glory, at least.

"It could have been worse," she said. He felt like he should say something to that, but she kept talking.

"He didn't actually take anything, or tinker with anything. Just a series of thrusts, trying to reach something and breaking through my defenses. He could have taken any number of other memories, but he didn't even bother to look.

"It's worse when they get what they want. He was clumsy and my mind broke, so he left," she explained, slouching. Information on the League, that's what they had been told; apparently Mod's forcefulness had been a bit of an asset, a clear trail for the Manhunter to follow and do what he could to ensure a swift recovery.

"Robin's angry Mod got away," Beast Boy remarked.

"He'll be back. Why not, he almost had us," Jinx grumbled.

"Jinx," Beast Boy began.

"I was reading a magazine on the couch. Next thing I knew I was waking up in that… school. Just like that," Jinx recounted, snapping her fingers; her lack of anger was unnerving him.

"I didn't lose my eye in an accident. They held me down and took it. I was _helpless_," she hissed the last word. She sat quietly and Beast Boy dared speak up.

"Cyborg has been going over the Tower a mile a minute since we got back. I bet an army couldn't break in here with the big guy on overdrive," Beast Boy assured her. She shifted around to sit backwards in the chair, facing him. He hadn't seen her actually sad before, he realized; it seemed to fit her face too well.

It made him wonder where she had come from. He didn't even know if she had a name other than Jinx.

"I was going to kill myself," she confessed. He got to his feet at that, coming up short when she sat rod straight, eye widened in surprise.

"Not now! Then! When I lost my eye!" she almost shouted; she actually seemed a bit offended at the implication and that actually comforted him enough to sit down. Jinx gave a sigh, closing her eye for a moment to collect herself.

"I was already in a bad place, at the time it just seemed a confirmation that my life sucked and always would.

"Being here is no achievement of _mine_, someone saved my life. No, they gave me a shot at a life. I promised myself I would put it to good use… for the greater good," she admitted that last part a bit strangely.

To Beast Boy it sounded like she had not included herself in her post-suicidal ambitions. He had learned from his Doom Patrol experience that you needed to keep a part of yourself just for yourself, even if it was a worthy cause. After all, how could you fight for the people when you didn't ever let yourself be one of them?

"What about you?" he asked.

"I was nothing special when the League took me in. I wanted to change that; I wanted to be something more than a victim.

"I thought I was getting there. I helped destroy Midnight's armor and whips, helped with the Batman ploy. Yes, got my ass kicked, but we won," she explained calmly.

"And you got to combine your attack for a big finishing move," Beast Boy whined. As hoped, that complaint got a smile, brief but he had seen it there.

"Then she comes back and I can't do squat to her. And you know she's going to be back for more.

"Now this a-hole comes out of left field and I end up a victim again. I was more of a liability than you hopped up on those chemicals and with a broken mind," she sighed.

"Hey now, without you Robin might not have been able to crash the system," Beast Boy insisted.

"Yes he would have, he's Robin," Jinx waved away the idea.

"There are big fish out there, and even the Tower can't give us even a warning when they swim into Jump. The only thing for it, is to get bigger," she said, managing a small smile.

"I'm looking into expanding my magic, and focusing it. I picked up some tomes via the Watchtower from Dr. Fate. Surprised he parted with them. Something about holding them for me? Never let me get that cryptic, it's the kind of jackassery I would rather not have," Jinx confessed, smirking a bit now.

"Alright! That's the way! You'll be the most kickass witch, people will be going 'Zatanna who?' And I'm not going to take the drooling thing lying down! No way am I getting beaten by elastic waistbands! By the time he crawls back out of his toad hole, he'll have to deal with BEAST MAN!" Beast Boy declared, grandly striking a heroic pose.

The pose slumped as Jinx laughed shortly at his antics, but he was smiling all the same.

"You'll need some muscle before you can get away with a cooler name," she told him, waving a finger.

"What would you know about manly cool? You're a girl. So you working on some cool new magic thing?" he asked, walking over to look at the paper she had been working on. His eager expression drooped at the sight.

"Jinx?" he asked. She coughed before turning around to sit in her chair properly.

"I'm changing my look. A whole new outfit. I can't take my game up a notch in the same old outfit, right?" she demanded a bit testily as she spread out the different sketches she had made.

Beast Boy decided it was better not to answer that question. Jinx shifted uneasily and pointed to one of the potential designs.

"What do you think of this one?" she asked. BB eyed it and rubbed his chin, carefully considering.

"That one makes you look fat," he stated solemnly.

…

…

BOOM

The door slid open, a slightly charred and smoking Beast Boy stumbling out before it was slammed behind him.

"I **am** the funny guy! Mission accomplished! Hooray," he congratulated himself as he made his way down the hall. Jinx had been smiling while tossing him out. And even with screwy priorities, her hexes were hitting harder, ouch.

* * *

**AN:**

_Firstly, Racheakt has some great new fanart for this second arc up on his deviantart account. The art is definitely improving._

_As for this chapter, I gave Mad Mod something of a rewrite. Reacquainting with this character made me realize his potential as a dark and disturbing villain. "A Clockwork Orange" came to mind in particular._

_Altogether, this ended up quite a surprising chapter. I ended up including scenes I hadn't planned on using yet and others were pushed back. Well, that's writing for you, you have to be willing to adapt your plans and experiment._

_Hopefully this deviation from plans was found enjoyable and will help lead into the events of the next chapters._


	17. Traveler

**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans… not mine.

_Beta: _Zim'sMostLoyalServant

* * *

_'Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next.' _-_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_

**Traveler**

A spot on top of the simple stove was crammed as two pots and a teakettle sat being heated, steam rising from the open pots. Arella allowed herself a smile at the sight of her small daughter standing atop a wooden stool, generally gripping the safe stove edge. She was watching the pots with such intensity, her lips pressed together and eyes narrowed in a stare.

She spoke before the sight made her laugh at the adorable hybrid. She had little doubt they were watched even here, and the others disliked her eroding detachment. Even if she could not fully express herself to her child, it was better than whatever schooling the Quorum would subject her to if Raven were taken from her.

"Raven, you don't need to watch them that closely," Arella told her. She stood behind Raven, putting her hands on her tiny shoulders.

"Huh? But the lesson!" Raven objected, turning to look at her mother. The girl was clearly confused; Arella stroked her scalp and as if on cue the teakettle whistled. Raven glared at it as if it had tricked her.

"A watched pot never boils," Arella smiled, picking the plain white kettle off the stove.

"That's the lesson?" Raven asked, pouting. The girl was so refreshing – this holy city's only children were those pledged by the provinces to become monks. Even when she had left Azarath, it was in such official capacity she had never really interacted with children. Not since she was given to a temple by her parents, setting her on the road to the Shining City, had Arella experienced a child.

"No, we will get to the lesson soon, little one," Arella assured. She put the kettle on their kitchen table and retrieved one of the pots from Raven, who as usual was determined to help. The robed woman returned quickly, not liking her daughter handling a pot of recently boiling water.

Arella set out a steel plate and a pair of white teacups in the center of the table as Raven got into her seat. Purple eyes looked at her expectantly as she cooled the waters with a touch to the pots. The tainted priestess still was caught in surprise at times how much her daughter hung on her words and actions.

'I was never supposed to be a mother,' she thought. She crushed that thought with a certain aggression she had sadly become accustomed to. Thankfully, it didn't seem to register with Raven.

"Do you remember what you put in the pots?" she asked. Raven nodded, pointing to the pots in succession.

"A big carrot, some eggs, and leaves," the girl answered seriously. With a wave of her hand, Arella raised the carrot out of the pot and set it down on the plate. She smiled at Raven's awe at the simple magic and white glow around her mother's hand.

"The carrot was hard when it went in, was it not?" Arella asked. Raven nodded and Arella brought out the three eggs next, putting them on the plate too.

"And these eggs were delicate, correct?" Arrella pressed, and received another nod.

The mother reached into a wide sleeve and pulled out a small knife. Taking care to show she was using the blunt edge she cut the boiled carrot easily in half. Then peeled away an egg's shell and tapped it against the plate.

"The water is like the hardships of life, Raven. Some are like the carrot – they go in hard and life takes away that stiffness leaving them weak and falling apart.

"Others are like the egg. They seem unchanged on the outside, and on inspection seem more durable. But they have been completely changed within. What was once soft has become hardened," Arella explained.

Picking up the teakettle, she poured a cup for Raven and then one for herself. Replacing the kettle, she picked the cup up in two hands and took a deep breath of the aroma, eyes closed. She peeked through one eye and saw Raven doing the same.

"Others, though, are like the tea. The world's hardships change them as well, but they change the world at the same time. And so boiling water can become this tea," Arella explained she took a sip, savoring the flavor, before looking at Raven.

The girl was frowning, seemingly deep in thought. Her purple eyes glanced from the tea to the eggs, to the carrot, and then to her mother. She kept silent, clearly wanting to ask something. Arella remained silent, hoping her daughter would discover the answer to whatever deep epiphany the parable was clearly bringing to her mind.

After about a minute of being stared at, she decided asking wouldn't be too much of a disservice to Raven's progression toward enlightenment.

"What is it, Raven?" she inquired.

"Is this all we're having for lunch?" Raven asked. Arella stared at her daughter, and then covered the smile accompanying her subsequent "coughing fit".

_Present Day:_

Wintergreen watched as the young mistress poured her tea. Unlike the master, she visited the kitchen regularly, even when the old butler was in residence. Not to make food, though – she readily conceded his culinary skills were superior to her own.

But one of the first things she had asked him permission for all those years ago was to make some tea for herself.

Oddly enough, she wasn't particularly reverent with the process; usually making her own tea was a sign she had been upset.

Until, of course, the tea had been poured. Without fail, every time, she held the cup between both her hands and took a deep breath of its scent. That action always drained tension from her, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Sadly, the days were long gone when it could truly restore the spring in her step. But it still offered her some relief, so he never questioned it, or reported the phenomenon.

He felt he did not need to ask to know who it was Raven thought of when she smelled fresh made tea.

_Somewhere, Somewhen:_

It was a place that was not quite a place.

An eye in the storm, one might describe it as. Or perhaps just an inevitable gap that had to exist somewhere within the vastness. Men once thought it was like the aforesaid eye, a center of some kind. But those who knew better would say it was actually _outside_.

To view it was to see the blank expanse, which it was hardly the sole claimant to. A place almost outside of time, and almost out of existence. And as far as most are concerned, as significant as the one empty lot in a bustling city center.

Except it wasn't vacant – at some point, the space had become occupied.

They called it the Clocktower – not a terribly original name, but they felt their vision, when realized, would be worthy of such a mantle. And it was. As only structures built as much of magic as mortar, metal and wood could, it seemed to be an ideal manifested as well as an actual structure. The very ideas of clock and tower laid bare in grandeur and function.

An arching bridge to nowhere extended grandly, decorated with Roman numerals on its arching length as a massive white and copper clock face, ever set to three minutes to midnight, looked on. From the nowhere end of the bridge, a man stepped into sight.

His hair was brown and finely shaded; no other words could describe it. He was the epitome of the dapper gentleman to whoever looked at him. Fine shoes clipping on the stone, he pulled out a timepiece as he crossed and saw the sands had almost but not quite run out. Smiling a small smile, he tucked a black cane under his arm and hummed a tune as the clock looked down upon him.

The wall waiting at the end of the bridge seemed to be made of gears running to different speeds with different sizes. Some in smooth steady arcs, others in a slight jerking motion that made the mind supply a tick for every tock.

He could have stared at it, or most any segment of this structure, for a good long while pondering both the beauty of the structure/mechanism in itself, all the while drawing metaphors for any little thing that came to mind. But he was neither early nor late; he was going to be just on time.

A gear, half again as tall as him, ceased its revolutions and popped from the wall to roll away. He paused for a moment before the opened passage to tip his hat to the courteous gear. It did not return the gesture, but then it did lack a hat.

Sadly, the structure was far more mundane on the inside. At the moment it was an art deco theme of grandeur with white and gold. The Gentleman had never been fond of this style – it too easily lent itself to intimidation and edifice. Not a fair opinion perhaps, considering his experiences, but then a gentleman should be both honest and polite in his opinions.

The gallery put him in mind of a grand old bijou, though rather than productions or films the notices in their gilded frames declared the business at hand for the Council. He had no interest beyond a cursory inspection of those frames. Not to his taste, but fine craftsmanship.

No, his attention fell on the pedestal in the room's center, across from the plain double doors with their simple brass doorknobs. A cage rested atop it, containing one of the items of the meeting.

"Tsk, tsk, how boorish," he admonished someone who wasn't there as he walked up to the captive. The child-sized imp girl kneeled with arms crossed over her modest chest, head bowed, because the cage's dimensions pressed her into such a shape. The Gentleman made a clicking sound at the sight of her pointed ears pushed back on themselves by the grid of gold-like bars.

The bright colors did not go well with her light gray and darkest gray fur pattern either, or the sullen reddish eyes watching him. She was angry, but too bored and tired to really give the word its proper due. Evil she might be, but this was simply not civil!

"My dear, I apologize for the accommodations. If it makes you feel better I shall advocate a more civil treatment towards your person. And also, having reviewed your case, I believe it is quite workable. In the meantime, a biscuit," he said to the captive, doffing his hat. Rummaging in an interior coat pocket, he produced a small biscuit and gave it a sniff.

"Ah, only almost stale. Not to be confused with actually stale, only almost. Enjoy, and see you in the chamber," he said. With hardly any movement of the hand, he tossed the green speckled biscuit into the air. It managed to flip through the grid, and get snatched by a long light blue tongue.

Leaving the imp to its crunching, the Gentleman made his way to the double doors, humming a song about a king in the rain.

The doors were anxious; they didn't even give him the chance, flying open as he came within reach.

The others were in their seats around the circular table; several were looking at him as the doors closed behind him. Some were friendly, others were curious, and several were irritated.

"Gentleman, you are almost late," a well-dressed man who was a bit like a falcon commented as he passed.

"Which means, my dear fellow, that I am still on time," the Gentleman answered with an honest smile as he reached the last vacant seat and took it with a tasteful flourish.

He glanced around at the other Council members. As ever, they were an odd bunch – with so many corners of the multiverse represented, it was bound to happen. They were surrounded by gears behind glass, the room rearranging itself to accommodate the tininess or bulk of some members. Spying the Doctor fiddling with some piece of shiny tech, he tipped his hat to the eccentric. He received no answer, but only because the man was focused on the task.

A man took a podium at what was somehow the head of the table and lifted a gavel. He was human looking until you looked closer; that gave away he wasn't what he seemed, but it was usually a pity on those who could see what he was. The Gentleman could recognize his nature at a glance, the elderly Survivor, clothed in ragged grandeur.

"The Endless Council is called to order.

"Our first item is related to the Fluttering Brooch affair. 52 of the aggrieved parties want us to force the Sorcerer Supreme to release the Dissonant into their custody," Survivor said.

"Illogical, she is contained and chastised. The matter is closed; if they persist, we should confine them back to their realities, forcing the matter," a silvery wisp of vapor spoke.

"Agreed, the Stranger sent them back, letting the Sorcerer Supreme be merciful. Besides, after the Brooch was destroyed, can we even consider her to be the same being as before?" a wolfman in a zoot suit and sunglasses spoke up.

"She got split three ways, but it seems to be working out okay," the Doctor commented, tucking his project into a coat pocket.

"Really, how can you tell with her/them trapped in that bottle?" the Gentleman pressed.

"I snuck a peak while he was getting groceries," the Doctor said as if it were only the most obvious of things.

"If there are no further statements, a vote.

"Do we refuse this request and seal the petitioners in their own realms for ten of their years?" the Survivor asked. A chorus of "yays" went through the chamber.

"Motion passed. Doctor, would you please see to this?" the chairman inquired. The Doctor nodded, as the falcon-like man stood.

"I have an item for the Council," he spoke. With a wave of a white-gloved hand, the image of Midnight appeared, larger than life, hanging in the air over the table.

"This version of Trigon's daughter, Raven, was brought to our attention. Her actions go against the grain of most versions and her beliefs set her in opposition to the Council's ideals," he said.

"Irrelevant, even many of us have or had evil counterparts," a bronze-plated robot spoke up, its blue eyes flaring in irritation.

"Her reality possesses the Prime Spear, which as in most realities where Trigon exists, he claims.

"Even a shadow of the Spear allows him to go about his filthy infernal annexations in defiance of the Celestial and Profane higher levels. _This_ Trigon is significant; if he takes _this_ Earth, he will be able to take _that_ universe within a millennium. And from there he has a possibility of absorbing all versions of himself," Falcon went on, lacing his hands.

"That only happens if he wins. His daughter has the power to turn him back. That is his weakness as demanded by the Higher Powers, the key to his conquest is also the key to his defeat," the Gentleman spoke up.

"This Raven is foul and polluted. She will not defeat him, she may even side with him," Falcon shot back. The Doctor stood up.

"Incorrect usage! His defeat remains a probability despite that, you represent it as an impossibility," the learned man objected.

"And what are the odds, this Midnight can do it?" Falcon demanded. The Doctor deflated.

"Not good," he admitted.

"What course of action has the Stranger suggested?" the Wisp inquired.

"The only answer we have received is that 'People choose their roles and parts.' Not exactly helpful," Falcon admitted.

"I beg to differ. As usual for all poor claims to represent and look after mortals, you continue to underestimate them. This girl is dark, but she is still strong and cares too much to have a rotted heart," the Gentleman spoke up.

"The strength of the Ravens is rooted in friendship. Her only tie is to a dark man.

"We cannot risk such consequences. Chairman, you founded this council after a wicked man destroyed your universe pointlessly. The answer you received from the Stranger on why it happened failed to satisfy you. So you used the power of your new state to aid those who could not aid themselves. We have all come here to do that, to spread good and eradicate evil from the multiverse!" Falcon smacked a gloved hand on the table.

"Eradication is a harsh word… but I agree this situation warrants actions," the robot chimed.

"How, when they haven't lost the battle? This is meddling rooted in fear, not good," the Gentleman pressed.

"My fellow Councilors, I propose we send an executioner to end this before it begins. This timeline is singular, and therefore difficult to access, but there is a window of opportunity. Her sixteenth birthday, the Ritual of the Branded Flesh – before Trigon's Herald completes his task, we can kill her.

The murmuring in the chamber rose to a roar, even the Gentleman indulging a frown. The gavel thundered four times and tense silence broke out. The Survivor looked them over with a scowl before speaking.

"We have a motion, is there anything said against it?" the chairman demanded. The Gentleman stood, and received a nod from the chairman.

"Once again this body lacks faith in those it seeks to promote. Were we not assembled to enable mortals to better themselves by providing aid against those obstacles they could _not_ overcome? Or in times to nudge them onto a better path, without pushing them onto it?

"This young lady has the same potential to triumph over her heritage as her sisters. It's all still there, everything that is needed to stay Trigon's hand, and more," the Gentleman spoke. Sitting down, he received a smattering of applause, but more remained silent.

"All for?" the Survivor rumbled.

"Aye!" the call echoed through the chamber.

"Against?"

"Nay," the call paled beside the call for death.

"This lady has poor luck with democracy," the Doctor noted.

"Who will be the executioner?" a figure hidden in a purple robe inquired. The chairman waved his hands and a list of names appeared, floating over the table.

"That timeline is fairly fixed, we are limited in who can enter it. And still more by the power needed to accomplish this task quickly," the Survivor said.

"The Sorcerer Supreme, he will crush her," a floating crowned skull suggested.

"No, he is too merciful. Summon the Lady of Shadows," the wolfman demanded.

"She is unreliable, her respect for our authority is too fleeting," a voice called.

"I have someone who is perfect for this task. A mortal skilled in combating profane magics, and whose dedication to the punishment of evil is legendary in all versions," Falcon smiled, raising a gloved hand. The image of a masked man appeared over the table; several councilors drew back at the sight.

"Well…" the Doctor muttered, wide-eyed.

"We have to be thorough, having set ourselves on this course. With the Council's permission, I would release Kovacs #13 from our prison and set him on her trail.

"His goal may have conflicted with ours in the past, but he will not set aside such a case for anything. She will die by his hands and Trigon's ambition will be aborted, the outcome is certain," Falcon explained. Those who could shifted in their seats, glancing at the image.

"This is dangerous, he was difficult to contain the first time. If we let him loose on any chain he will break free almost certainly. What do we do when he has achieved her destruction and stalks the worlds once more?" the crowned skull demanded.

"He is chaotic, that is true, but he still slays for goals along the same line as our own, and is not so great a threat as this Trigon could become," Falcon answered.

The vote was much closer, but in the end the Falcon smiled at the frowning Gentleman.

**XXX**

The meeting let out, the councilors leaving in a trickle. The Gentleman kept his seat, eyes hidden from view by his hat. He received his customary compliments or insults as others passed. He answered the positive with dignified restraint while choosing to ignore the negative – a gentleman should never start trouble on his own behalf, after all.

At last he and Falcon were alone, save for the clockwork in motion all around them.

"Why do you come? You only ever advocate inaction," Falcon asked, hands behind his back.

"Not so, I simply favor subtle action. Enabling people to solve their problems rather than swooping in to take charge of things," the Gentleman answered, smiling.

"Some problems require direct action. Better for them to live to learn the lesson another day.

"You're not going to go against the Council on this?" Falcon pressed.

"No, I will not interfere with your plans, however vulgar I find them," the Gentleman sighed. Falcon nodded and made to say something, but closed his mouth, turning away. The door closed behind him with a thump, and the Gentleman smiled.

"But that doesn't mean I have no plans of my own. A little change of perspective perhaps?" he mused, rubbing his well-shaved chin.

_Titans Tower:_

It was a radical change, Jinx noted.

The witch stood in her room, hair already nice and spiky, wearing a purple short-sleeved shirt and some jeans. In front of her on her bed were her outfit, and her new outfit.

Her eye drifted to the old uniform and she felt a certain pang. It had been her defining look for a long time. At the orphanage and… after, she had made do with what was provided. The designing of her uniform had been a big moment in washing away the old her, her first real opportunity for self-expression without having to "make do".

"But I guess that is what this is about," Jinx sighed. She wasn't cutting it with what she had, and she needed to change to keep up with the others. The dark Goth look still had some appeal, but she liked to think she had come a bit away from the dark time that had shaped her.

Not that any new look could wipe away her debts, she thought. She looked over at the poster; she had reported her upgrades to him already.

"White," she said. She hadn't had that connection in mind when making this. The dominant color was about accommodating her new armor…

A blaring shocked the witch out of her musings.

"Trouble," she said, and then smiled. Pulling off her shirt and throwing it aside, she reached for the first piece of her new uniform.

_Jump City:_

A thunderbolt struck a glass storefront, making it explode, sending glass and fire into the air. A skidding shard of glass came to a halt as a sandal slammed down on it, grinding it into dust.

"Ah, it's good to be back," Susano sighed. Draping his storm staff over his shoulders, he looked on the burning avenue he had left, nearly every storefront ablaze.

Whipping out his staff, he fired off another lightning bolt. The explosion sent a police patrol car flying into the air to land upside down with a crunch. Electricity playing along the length of the staff, he advanced as the dazed policemen pulled themselves from the wreck.

A balding dark-skinned man in blue brought his gun up only for the staff to knock it out of his grip.

"You would raise such crude weapons to your betters, peasant?" the villain sneered. The cop spat blood onto his sandals.

"Ha! Well, allow me to answer your courage appropriately-" Susano laughed. Head jerking around, he spun the staff, deflecting a birdarang. Robin and some girl in white got off the bird bike, the Boy Wonder removing his helmet.

"Susano, I thought that crazy marine dragged you into another dimension," Robin noted (1). Susano grimaced, eyes darting around, and then smiled, setting the butt of his staff on the ground.

"That she did. And it was horrible! Crazy and powerful marines, insane super powered pirates, magic fruit, oh such madness! And so dangerous! But it motivated me to survive under that insane woman!

"It wasn't easy getting back, I could tell you things that would shatter your very mind!" the young villain ranted, eye twitching.

"So what? You get back and you get your crew to just start destroying things?" the girl asked. Susano's eyes narrowed, then widened as he recognized the witch.

The bright pink hair was shorter in a pixie cut. She had also apparently lost an eye at some point and stopped wearing shades. Her outfit was completely changed though – he had not recognized her as the Goth witch from before.

A short white mantle was around her shoulders, fastened with a purple jewel broach, a second, longer cape trailed down her back. It was triangular, though, so that the long side covered her shoulders too, but came to a point level with her hips.

The rest was a long-sleeved white tunic, and leggings that were blue. The sleeves and trailing ends of her robe were trimmed in purple though, and the sash was purple, so there was that…

The only thing to survive the transformation intact was her stockings, of all things.

"Like what you see?" Jinx smirked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Heh, you think new clothes make you a better fighter? I have survived a mad world. I have been beaten within a hairsbreadth of my life by a mad gypsy and blown up by an obscene Oni spawn, and live to stand here now! I will crush you like bugs!" he roared, a storm wind blowing past him as his eyes glowed with current.

Robin and Jinx exchanged a glance.

"Robin, I'll take him. This area is evacuated, get the cops out and help the others contain Gizmo and Mammoth," she said. Robin looked back to Susano, a miniature storm apparently gathering around him as he grinned.

"You can handle him?" Robin asked.

"I need to swim or sink," she answered. The masked teenager nodded and climbed back onto his bike. The cycle roared to life and vanished down an alley, leaving the witch in white to face the storm godling.

"Girl, you will regret sending him away," he laughed. Jinx rolled her eye.

"Badasses kick ass, idiots spend all day talking about doing it," she said. Eye twitching, he sprang forward, carried by the wind, staff raised overhead.

The staff struck pavement, cracking it as Jinx stepped back and fired off a point blank hex blast. Unable to raise the staff to counter, he took it in the chest and was sent flying back. Twisting in the air, he landed in a low crouch.

"Witch," he spat. Electricity ran along his staff as he brought it to bear. Jinx flipped into the air, hand already aglow as a lightning bolt struck the spot she had been standing at. At the apex, she fired her hex back, which he defected with a strike of his staff.

She landed to find him in her face, swinging that staff. She backpedaled as the charged weapon almost connected as he advanced pressing the attack. Finally, he struck low and she hopped over it, freezing here for a moment with her feet in the air.

Her feet hit the ground just in time for him to bring the other end of the staff around and drive it into her gut.

As she bent over, Susano smirked, but stopped as a white glow lit up his face. Electricity played over the storm staff, but rather than going into the witch it was dancing across her uniform, where runes were now aglow against the pale cloth, sucking it in.

Her fist caught his jaw in an upper cut. Stumbling back stunned for a moment, she kicked up, hitting his wrist and knocking that hand off the staff. The next hex blast struck the fingers still holding the staff, making him grunt in pain as it clacked to the ground.

He deflected the next punch with his arm and caught her foot under his arm with the next high kick. Electricity burst from his body into the stockinged leg. No runes glowed in response on the dark blue cloth as she writhed.

"Heh! Wha?" he laughed, then wondered as the glow returned. The runes flared along her clothes, then vanished with a larger hex than he had ever seen her make appear, then condense in her left hand.

His vision flashed purple, and then went dark.

Jinx walked over to the villain where he laid, groaning in the pavement. His chest was bare and singed from where she had blown his uniform apart.

"That was awesome. But he did make it easy," she reminded herself. Had he taken it seriously, using his wind powers and held back a bit on the lightning… Shrugging, she reached into her pouch, pulling out a set of rune-engraved manacles.

_Beneath Jump City:_

Raven crossed her legs from her perch of the steel sawhorse, watching the screen as the witch in white restrained Susano. She smiled, wiping her greasy hands off with a gray rag.

"Someone has upgraded themselves. The arms race comes to Jump City; it was inevitable. But Susano seems to have learned little from his sojourn, and beating him seems a poor reason to tip her trump card.

"Still, their folly is my advantage," she commented. The screen flicked to the other two HIVE students she had hired, both defeated and being placed under arrest.

"You have grown stronger Titans, but I have not been idle. My father will destroy you, and I will be the instrument of that havoc," she stated solemnly.

Pulling a remote from her jumpsuit's pocket, she switched the channel. The third flick stopped her, as a large man standing on a set of grey steps dominated the screen, the press surrounding him along with two unusual people in suits.

He himself wore a dark sports coat, with a red tie, white shirt, and dark pants. The clothes were the most normal things about him.

His skin was steel metallic, not polished to reflect but still catching sunlight a bit. His nose was a blunted thing and his ears small, still allowing shades to cover his eyes. Finally a row of small spikes ran in a line from the top of his brow over the dome of his head.

He was giving a speech, it seemed.

"-this harassment shows the increasing desperation by this department and others to cover their lack of ability in dealing with the issues in the new urban reality.

"These so called terrorist acts that are being laid on the MPA, while illegal, occur in response to the same incompetence that sees Meta leaders arrested rather than HDL racist fighters and their ringleaders. This systematic neglect has left too many desperate and angry, leading to these outbreaks of violence.

"From its inception, the Metahuman Protection Association has strived to serve our Metahuman communities as the government cannot or will not. Neighborhood watches, shelters, self-defense classes, and other good works are our highest priority.

"But we do not ignore the real and growing issues threatening to destroy our people. Unchecked racist violence against us; the ever apparent apathy of the mainstream culture to our plight as they push us to the margins; economic discrimination plunging the majority of Metas into poverty and pushing many into lives of crime through desperation and anger; the Meta trafficking industry that is thriving in this very country!

"We will not sit back and hope these problems will fade away and go watch Reality TV instead! I, as a man, and as director of the Metahuman Protection Association, have repeatedly pledged that I will act to relieve the Metahuman community of these clear and pressing threats.

"Saving our at risk youths from being lured into a self-destructive lifestyle. Saving our empowered, and exotically beautiful, people from being kidnapped into slavery. Protecting our Metahuman leaders from assassination and kidnapping.

"To the majority, I say that we are not radicals, we are the reasonable response to your failure to act.

"To my fellow freaks I say this: We hear your voice! Your cause is our cause! To stand with us, is to stand for yourselves!" he finished his speech, walking into the crowd to where a black van was waiting, flanked by the two Metas in suits. A balding news anchor popped up.

"That was Metahuman community leader J. B. Rose shortly after his latest release from police custody. Police took Rose into custody Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation of a number of Metahuman terrorist acts. Once more he has been released due to lack of evidence.

"Police deny this revolving door policy is in response to a fear of reprisals from the MPA," the man said. Raven turned the screen off and got up from her seat to walk back over to her work area in the industrial garage.

Wintergreen was waiting near the metal-cluttered workbench where her latest, and greatest, project was taking shape. She smiled at how odd he looked, so pristine and elegant in this unclean utilitarian setting. She took the freshly poured teacup from the tray he held and sipped it.

"Thank you," she said.

"It is my job to look after you. And with the master away there is no reason to be negligent in the slightest," he told her as she finished the tea. She flinched at that; her father was getting ready to reel in that blonde slut. Even hoping for him to fail wasn't allowed because he couldn't possibly fail in such a simple task. It's not like that hussy wouldn't do anything for the right kind of bloody _sandwich!_

"Young mistress, you seem a bit lacking in your usual focus," Wintergreen pointed out. She blinked the pink hue from her eyes and frowned.

"It's just so… frustrating," she managed to keep her tone even. Letting out a long breath, she let thoughts of the other girl flow away and return to the task at hand.

Walking over to another table, she picked up a head, idly fingering the cables dangling from it. The structure was much the same from what she had started with, but she had sculpted it some for a more unique look – the ears in particular, but also the cheeks, a bit of the nose, and of course, the eyes.

Looking to the neck that would be receiving the cables and wires, she smiled widely. Wintergreen sighed.

"Are you sure this is a wise course?" he asked.

"Oh yes, this time I have been beyond thorough in checking. There will be no repeat of that unpleasantness. As for this, it's clear I'm better with pets than friends," she shrugged, putting the head back down.

"I recall suggesting that you get a dog," Wintergreen added.

"Razor needs a playmate that's a bit more resilient. And why would I _get_ a dog when I can just make one that meets my needs?" she asked, pulling on a pair of welding gloves.

"Well, I suppose it won't have to be cleaned up after at any rate," Wintergreen admitted. She actually laughed softly at that as she turned on the welder.

_Somewhere in Texas:_

A Who song played from the jukebox in the bar's corner as the door swung in, letting the afternoon light enter the darkened bar. The establishment was clean, if a bit run down, mostly dead at the moment. A young man was leaning over a booth table staring into a finger of whisky, with three eyes. A green man with bulging veins crossing his neck and face looked up from a half-empty beer and an empty basket of something or other.

The rust-furred catman in the worn denim jacket walked to the bar barefoot, tail swishing behind him. His face was mostly human, save for the eyes. The bartender was bald and big, normal enough, save for his hands being two thick fingers and a thumb with thick black nails. Still, he cleaned a glass expertly enough before walking down to the corner stool the catman had taken.

The bald man pulled up a long neck and put it down in front of the catman. The customer looked up with intense green eyes.

"My sympathies," the bartender said with a deep rumbling voice.

"You know what I want, and free booze isn't it," he scowled. Still, he popped the cap clear and took a pull.

"Russell, you aren't MPA. You don't have lawyers and all that. Go to Rose's people-" the older man advised. The bottle slammed back onto the bar, foam spilling out the top.

"She's our sister, we'll handle it our way. Rose's people say to wait; I've waited too long. I have money, what do you know?" Russell demanded. The bartender glanced around.

"Your sister, she's alive, and she's not going be dying or in a wheelchair or nothing. What those boys did is still over the line, but no killing, ya hear? Rose's boys are not liking trouble they don't have a finger on and the cops are antsier lately.

"And mind you, I got a name, but the guy's skipped town. Don't ask where, cause I don't know," the three-fingered man admitted.

"The others?" Russell demanded.

"Nothing. But for this one, no killing you, hear? It's his little brother, sixteen, promise me the kid walks away or nothing. It will be bad for all of us if you go too far, Russell," the bartender demanded.

"Fine, but he won't soon forget, nor will his brother when he hears. Bread for bread…" Russell began.

"Blood for blood," the bartender finished. The other two made sure not to hear anything, much less see the money change hands.

_One Hour Later:_

"Sweet!" Terra yelled from her perch on the edge of the loading dock. She watched as her latest friends tried to one up each other with street skateboarding. The local teenagers had done a bit to improvise this abandoned grocery store lot into a bit of a skate park.

She wasn't even close to the same level, but her drifter stories, edited, made her in by rule of cool.

Terra had already crashed a night with one of them without incident. They were a cool bunch, and she might actually get some neat tricks.

Slade was wrong – the world was a wide place, and you could lose yourself in it with a little effort.

"Hey Terra? You ever take in surfing while in California?" Marci asked, rolling up to her.

"Not really, I was more inland. The ocean never quite got along with me," she waved off. Matt walked up next, hair in its latest gelled style, spikes this time, board under his arm.

"Seriously, you never took in the beach while in the best beach state?" he laughed.

"I think Florida would have something to say about that, Matt. But yeah, I stopped over in Jump City for a while. Nice people there; though not as cool as here of course," she grinned, getting some laughs.

"Having fun, are we?" someone… purred?

Terra sprang from her spot as someone landed behind her. Her board drifted back slowly until a furry, clawed foot came down on it. A red haired catman stood there, looking down at them. Looking around, she saw two more casually walking up, hands in the pockets of their jeans, one without even a shirt, showing off a mostly fur-covered torso.

"We don't want trouble," Marci said quickly. Terra eyed the rocks littering the ground and bits of pavement broken up in places, pushing the pressure down.

"Good, neither are we, we just have business, with him," he said, pointing to Matt.

"What? I didn't do nothing!" he objected, backing up… and into the shirtless catman. They boxed him in, the leader kicking the board away to jump down. They loomed over the teen, grim-faced.

"No, but your brother and some of his pals did terrible, terrible things to our sis. And he's gone off the map," the leader said.

"Rob didn't have anything to do with that!" Matt protested.

"I disagree," the lead cat said, claws popping out of his fingers.

"Leave him alone!" Marci said as the others backed off, save Terra. The young Meta bit her lips, watching it happen. Marci got a backhand from the third cat, sending her skidding back to Terra's feet.

"Back off, and remember not to see anything," the catman growled. The lead brother grabbed Matt by his shirt and lifted him up.

"Hey ass!" Terra said, stepping forward. The catmen turned their attention to her and she smiled when they realized what they had done.

"Run along, this doesn't concern you," shirtless said.

"You said he didn't do anything to you, so what are you doing here?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. The leader glanced back at his captive, and slashed his claws across his face.

He screamed even before being dropped to his ass. Marci screamed too and Terra looked on, wide-eyed.

'No, it wasn't supposed to be like that. I was supposed to be able to help and save them!' she thought angrily, glaring daggers at the cats. The two flunkies were congratulating their brother as he wiped his claws on the dirty white shirt under his jacket. Marci was kneeling by Matt, wanting to help but not knowing how.

Then Marci looked at her, mouth gaping open. Then the thugs noticed, stepping back with surprise.

Rocks were floating in the air around Terra, and her eyes were shining golden. With a gasp of realization, her eyes snapped shut and the small debris clacked to the ground.

"One of us?" one of the thugs muttered.

'No!' Terra thought, eyes opening. Looking at Marci over Matt, still cradling his bleeding face. Looking at her other friends looking at her like they had at the catmen.

Terra ran as fast as her feet could carry. And from the shadows a masked man watched, and a masked man waited.

_Museum of Technology:_

Midnight stepped out of the shadows cast by a colossal art deco styled grandfather clock that presided over the exhibit entrance. The system was already sabotaged; the only remaining threat was the guards, whose only threatening act would be to activate an alarm before being subdued. As it was, she had memorized the patterns to avoid them.

'That's the trouble with putting everything in one program. Allow a little autonomy, and your grunts may succeed despite your failure.'

She took casual interest in the time-based tech all around her as she walked into the exhibit. All of it was valuable, from antiques to various applicable tech. Time tech, for all the attention it garnered, was one of the great let downs of the fringe science that had risen with the Metas.

As it was, her target was something not of power but of vast value.

"The Clock of Eternity, a priceless artifact of a more elegant era," Midnight told no one. She knew the guards had left the exhibit 90 seconds ago and the next pair would not arrive for forty seconds at this end.

An easy job – that was the problem. Busy work.

Her father had her pulling simple heists while he was in Texas recruiting that little blonde tramp!

She should be there, so he could see that Terra was nowhere near her level in some final test. That the dumb blonde was not worth his time, not even to give a second thought.

Midnight stopped, eyes glancing at the shadows radiating off her armor. With a deep breath, she pulled the short questing tendril back in. But there was still a simmering edge of darkness around her joints. In her hair too, she guessed.

"I need to train more," she grumbled, resuming her trek at a brisker pace. She had actually drawn up a design for Terra robots, for sparring. Of course that had been destroyed; what would her father think of such childish venting?

She was in control. She was the steady sword, the subtle knife, a whisper in the night. Elegant, refined, -

"What the hell?" Midnight cursed, reaching the display case. The clock was gone.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she growled. Men cried out nearby and some strange sound echoed through the museum. The lingering shadows on her surged to her left wrist, merging into a blade that extended from her fist.

"Who's the unlucky bastard?" she wondered, fading into the darkness as footsteps approached.

**XXX**

Warp spared a smile at the frozen guards as he proceeded into the exhibit. It was rather pathetic; this era had enough understanding to grasp his technology, but not the knowledge to overcome it. Made it rather unsporting, but fortunately he did not greatly care about such things.

He didn't bother suppressing the excitement running down his spine – he was about to be a party to one of the great lost treasures of the modern world. The Clock of Eternity, lost a century ago, and never resurfacing since despite its immense value. Beyond even the money, the sheer history behind his ordained actions granted him a rare sense of genuine vindication.

As it turned out, it was his instincts rather than knowledge that proved key, alerting him to the attack as someone struck at him from the shadows. Dodging the blow barely, his shoulder blasters opened up and unleashed a barrage. Blackness cloaked the figure as it dodged the counterattack. But it bought the time traveler time to get the distance he needed for combat. His suit hummed against his body as weapon systems prepped to utmost ready.

"Who are you?" he asked, both as a matter of course, and genuine surprise, as an armored teenager emerged from the shadows.

The archive showed the Teen Titans had participated in and failed to thwart this heist. Furthermore, it was the last confirmed appearance of Starfire until her return in the Troubled Times twenty years off. He could recognize one of his own, a villain.

"Where is the clock?" she demanded, ignoring him.

"What? !" Warp asked, glancing to the nearby display case.

'Gone, but who?' he wondered, his analytical mind asserting itself over anger.

'Another time traveler? By Chronos, did I cross a century only to miss the golden opportunity by a few minutes?' he wondered. Then he was under attack again, his auto defenses firing off.

Shadows weaved around the armored girl, tickling his mind as he raked his memory for answers. He had reviewed prominent and dangerous figures in Old Jump City on the off chance he would have to deal with someone else. His memory was flawless, so why was it like trying to remember something forgotten?

"Looks like someone started the party without us," Robin called. Warp stopped his backpedaling even as his assailant stayed her shadow bladed assault to regard the new threat.

'Robin, version 3.0. Cyborg before he went to seed. Starfire, not yet a lost lamb. Beast Boy, with hair. And… not Raven?'

The girl had pink hair and a predominantly white outfit and one eye; it didn't fit with any of his research. This was before the Titan Network was established – what was going on here? He couldn't even muster the witty greeting he had prepared for meeting history, such was his confused frustration.

He almost missed Robin ordering the Titans to "Go!" Fortunately, they focused on attacking his assailant. Which made sense, he realized – she was clearly a villain, and he an unknown who was fighting her. His golden armor might also help his case in their eyes; people tended to read too much into outfits in this era, he recalled.

"So, who are you?" the anomaly asked, walking up to him. He noticed a hand drifting towards a purple leather pouch at her belt. The brooch reminded him a bit of Raven's attire, but he detected arcane energy residing in it. Raven's had been a mere communicator.

"I am Warp, young lady, and you are?" he asked with politeness, giving no hint to his frustration over a simple task spiraling into complications.

"Jinx," she answered, looking a bit surprised.

His surprise must have shown on his face with the frown she gave him.

'Jinx? Jinx? Yes, the face matches, along with skin and hair. But she was never recorded wearing something like this. And she should be a committed if not successful supervillain at this point. And she never lost an eye.' He did not check his timepieces; he knew he had set them right. The time was correct; it was the world that was wrong!

It clicked in his head like an impact bringing two frayed wire ends back into contact.

"Thank you for clearing it up, dear," he smiled, holding out a hand. She didn't take it, but looked at it, letting his shoulder blasters hit her squarely, sending her flying back. Glancing at the other anomaly – which he could now safely guess to be an evil Raven – hold her own against the Titans, Warp smiled.

"Seems I made a wrong turn. Fascinating, maybe even serendipitous, further study is most warranted. But for now, I have an appointment to keep, and I simply cannot be late," he told himself as the portal opened before him.

Midnight saw the thief getting ready to make his escape, and with a surge of shadows forced Cyborg and Robin back.

"Sorry to cut this short, but history waits for-" Warp called over his shoulder at the cusp of the chronal portal. He was cut off as Midnight came at him, only to be sent flying forward by an exploding birdarang to the back.

Warp gave a cry, trying to take the unintentional tackle, but his own precarious position and the weight of the armored teen carried them both into the portal. It closed behind them, leaving only empty air.

"No fair, I didn't get to do anything!" Jinx cursed, back on her feet.

"Did we just win or lose?" Beast Boy asked as Robin walked over to where the two villains had vanished.

**XXX**

"What in the? !" Midnight cursed as she grappled with Warp. The two were floating through a white void decorated by clocks and spinning globes. Some clocks were modern, others ancient. Some of the globes were familiar and spinning slow enough to see. Others were bizarre in landmasses and coloring, a few spinning so fast they were just a blur.

"Stop it, you fool! This is transit, you have no idea of the-!" Warp yelled at her before shadows started to pour out of her onto his armor. Raven watched with surprise at the unbidden action as energy also poured out of his armor in a golden aura.

"A Munchhausen Paradox," Warp cursed. Breaking her hold on his left hand, he slammed his palm on a blue disk embedded in his chest. The aura faded. Then a flash of white shattered the void.

**XXX**

The flash faded, the sensation of distortion with it, replaced by wind whipping past her, cloak flapping behind her. Raven's eyes snapped open to confirm what she had already guessed; she was free falling.

A city was rushing up to meet her as the sun shined bright.

'Daylight?' she wondered as she maneuvered herself to a more upright position. Taking a breath, her eyes closed in concentration, a spike of shadow shooting out of her left foot towards the ground.

She felt it bite into the concrete of the alley between two buildings and poured power into it, as speed-born power was skimmed off her by flecks of shadow.

Riding a line of darkness, her descent slowed bit by bit.

Steel boots smacked into the ground, driving the darkness down into the pavement. Dust kicked up as the stone cracked from wall to wall, buckling up.

'Perfect, just like practice,' she smiled to herself. Straightening up from her crouch, she looked at the shocked wino watching her, stunned, as dust settled on him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked with a tone of honest inquiry.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, taking a swig from the bottle in the brown paper bag. Midnight nodded to him, and with two rebounding leaps off the alley walls gained the rooftops.

"Nothing at all," the dusty man muttered, looking after her.

Midnight looked out over the limited cityscape her view allowed, but spotted the key element.

"Well I didn't go far," she commented. Titans Tower, a short range teleportation. A rather predictable development with a villain named Warp. But the sun was up? Had time moved on her?

"Wintergreen, requesting status report," Midnight spoke, activating her mask's communication feature. A particular beat of three beeps sounded in her ear.

'Signal not found?'

She looked out over the city, same old Jump City, but the day was… brighter? Yes, standing here she felt like something was off. Both in armor and from her office at ARES, she had looked out on this city, feeling it.

And it felt wrong now, even if her eyes couldn't say why. Raven decided it was time to head back.

_Titans Tower:_

"I am certain it would be improved by some gharvots," Starfire insisted, leaning over the dividing counter. Robin looked up from the vegetables and beef sizzling in the skillet at the orange… thing, Starfire was holding. He could not tell if it was meat or vegetable, but it was dripping purple goop.

'Dear God, did it just wink at me?' Robin wondered as Starfire smiled, holding it up.

"Uh, I'm sure it would Star, but I said I was making this the traditional way. And well, I wouldn't want to lie," Robin told her.

"Nice save, Boy Wonder! And bad save Beast Boy!" Cyborg cackled, displaying robot thumb on his controller. Beast Boy wailed in frustration as an explosion filled the television screen. A victory jingle sounded as green words wrote themselves across the explosions: PLAYER 2 WINS.

"I demand a rematch!" Beast Boy insisted, jumping up onto the couch.

"Not interested, no nasty soy waffles and tofu sausage for this kitchen tomorrow, it's the real deal just like Momma would whip up on a Saturday morning," Cyborg told him, getting up. As Cyborg went to assist Robin in preserving the sanctity of lunch, Beast Boy bounded off the couch to argue in favor of his vegetarian goodies. He came up short as the main doors opened, admitting their resident Goth.

"What's up?" he asked. It wasn't like her to be early and she looked crankier than usual. Pulling back her hood, she somehow got everyone's attention as she walked across the room to stand before the windows.

"We've got trouble," Raven told her friends as she looked out on Jump City.

* * *

1). The Lost Episode, COMING SOON TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU.

**AN:**

_Well here we are. This was not a good chapter for fight scenes. Next chapter, on the other hand, has a fight I have actually been looking forward to trying to write. I think you can guess the match._

_Describing Jinx's new look was difficult; thanks to Racheakt for help on that. You can view a picture of Jinx at this point as part of the cover displayed on Racheakt's deviantart account._

_It probably won't be until after the next chapter that this arc really begins to hit steam when that stray cat gets properly in the mix._

_I think Queen of All Oni will be the next target. I wish I had more time and could give some much-needed love to Kindred and SSG. Oh well, such is life; I will have to make time._

_Long days and pleasant nights._


End file.
